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‘Volta will become a mining region, but we won’t allow galamsey’ – Togbe Afede

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‘Volta will become a mining region, but we won’t allow galamsey’ – Togbe Afede

Togbe Afede XIV, the Agbogbomefia of the Asogli State, has said the Volta Region will not allow galamsey into the region.

According to Togbe Afede, compared to other regions, the Volta Region has not yet discovered enough of its mineral resources.

He disclosed that the region will explore its mineral resources and develop a responsible mining industry without allowing illegal mining activities widely known as “galamsey”.

Togbe Afede highlighted that he was confident that the Volta Region had significant mineral resources that could contribute to its economic development.

Speaking at the Volta Economic Forum on September 23, 2026, Togbe Afede stated, “Relating to other regions, we have to discover enough of our mineral resources yet. We are sure they are there.”

“We are sure we will discover them, and we shall also become a mining region very soon. But we shall mine responsibly; we will not allow galamsey in the region,” he said.

Togbe Afede noted that the development of the region must be tied to growth in economic output, employment and living standards.

According to Togbe Afede, the Volta Economic Forum was part of efforts to mobilise resources to support the region’s development agenda, indicating that the objective was to promote development while ensuring that resources were used for the benefit of the people.

Some netizens reacting to the development stated, “Again, so much emphasis is being placed on minerals, and if a country or a region is not rich in minerals, then it puts that Place in a poor position.

Togbe is wearing KENTE, which no business has been built around for centuries”.

A netizen added, “We can only control galamsey if we get rid of the Chinese companies who are the ones most focused on illegally mining. They are the ones who have convinced other Ghanaians that galamsey is acceptable”.

“THE ECONOMIC PROSPECT OF THE VOLTA REGION STARTS WITH

LAND , WATER , SALT , ANCHOVIES , TILAPIA , KENTE , AND MOST IMPORTANTLY THE PEOPLE IN THE VOLTA REGION”, an X user added.

An X user added, “Please, please. Leave the minerals in the soil like that.

Generations to come will devise ways to extract those minerals without destroying the land.

We beg u, leave Volta alone”.

One last netizen added, “Why should mining of resources only be the way out of poverty? This strategy won’t work. We need productive industries, not extractive industries. You are not the government and don’t have the power and resources to stop galamsey once it starts”.

Meanwhile, Prof Frimpong-Boateng, a former Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, has said Ghana needs about $21 billion to reclaim and restore lands degraded largely by illegal mining (galamsey).

The former Minister detailed that about 10 per cent of Ghana’s surface area, equivalent to approximately 23,853 square kilometres, had been degraded, which has left Ghana with an enormous environmental restoration bill.

According to Prof Frimpong-Boateng, restoring the Ankobra River alone had been estimated to cost about $400 million.

He described galamsey as “the largest environmental crime in our history”, warning that the destruction of forests and water bodies was exposing mining communities to toxic substances.

Speaking on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, while delivering the keynote address at the Fourth Annual Colloquium organised by the Department of Political Science Education at the University of Education, Winneba, the event was held under the theme, “Politics, the Environment, and Our Future: Ghana at Crossroads?”.

Prof Frimpong-Boateng stated, “About a tenth of the surface area of Ghana is degraded, some 23,853 square kilometres. Reclaiming and restoring what has already been destroyed would cost in the order of $21 billion”.

Watch the video below:

@ghnow_ Counsel for Salomey has provided an update on what transpired in court today. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ The Truth Behind Terry’s Death #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

“I like the newfound voice” – Barker-Vormawor calls out GBA over its past ‘sins’

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“I like the newfound voice” – Barker-Vormawor calls out GBA over its past ‘sins’

Oliver Barker-Vormawor, a Lawyer and political activist, has called out the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) over its inconsistent response to attacks on lawyers and protesters.

Barker-Vormawor questioned why the GBA had not shown the same level of concern in previous incidents involving lawyers and protesters.

According to the lawyer, for years the Ghana Bar Association forgot he was a lawyer too when he was at the mercy of the previous Akufo-Addo government.

He further mentioned the cases of law students Timothy Selikem Donkor, Agaaya Adongo and others who were manhandled and detained after attending a protest while awaiting to be called to the Bar.

In a post on X on Friday, September 25, 2026, Barker-Vormawor wrote, “The Ghana Bar Association has issued a statement to condemn the attempted unlawful arrest of Baffour Awuah. I want to commend them for it.

For years, the Ghana Bar Association forgot I was a lawyer too. I was at the mercy of the regime. On my way to court, I was even arrested for not observing road markings when I was driving on a road that had no road markings. 😂

A lawyer coming to represent us when we were arrested was slapped, and the GBA fought against the Regional Bar that spoke up. Several young law students awaiting their call to the Bar, including Timothy Selikem Donkor, Agaaya Adongo and many others, were manhandled and locked up for showing up at a protest.

When Ama Governor was arrested after she was called to the Bar for attending a protest, the GBA looked away. She was either not enough of a lawyer or it era the wrong era.

This is why many people accuse the GBA of partisanship.

So yes, I like the newfound voice of the GBA. I only wish it didn’t lose it ever so often in 8-year cycles.

Shalom”.

His comment follows the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) condemning an attempt by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to arrest Manhyia South MP Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah at the premises of the Accra High Court.

According to the GBA, EOCO’s attempt to arrest the Manhyia South MP at the High Court, where he had gone to represent a client as a lawyer, is a grave concern.

The GBA stated that after reviewing the videos of the botched arrest, they observed Lawyer Afoakwa was assaulted by a woman who was subsequently identified by EOCO as one of its officers.

They acknowledged that no individual is above the law but said enforcement agencies must ensure that investigations and arrests involving lawyers are carried out in accordance with constitutional and professional safeguards, particularly when a lawyer is performing official duties on behalf of a client.

GBA also warned that failure to respect those safeguards could have broader consequences for the legal profession.

In a statement dated September 24, the GBA stated, “The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) has noted with grave concern the attempt by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to arrest the Manhyia South Member of Parliament, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, on the premises of the Accra High Court Complex where he had gone to represent a client in his capacity as a lawyer, on 23 September 2026.

The GBA also observed in the widely circulated videos of the attempted arrest that another lawyer, Mr Enoch Anhwere Afoakwa, complained of being assaulted by the lady, subsequently confirmed by EOCO to be its officer.

While no individual is above the law, any investigation or enforcement action involving a member of the legal profession, especially when they are representing clients, must be conducted strictly in accordance with constitutional guarantees, applicable legal procedures, and respect for professional independence. Attempts to circumvent these safeguards create the perception of intimidation and may have a chilling effect on the legal profession as a whole.

Lawyers play a critical role in the administration of justice and the protection of the rights of citizens. Any action that appears to interfere with their ability to discharge their professional duties, particularly through arbitrary or irregular measures, risks undermining public confidence in the justice system and the rule of law.

It is noteworthy that the current President of the GBA, in her speech at the 2025 annual GBA conference in Wa, had cause to make the following remarks: “

The Bar must never waiver in its role as the voice of the voiceless. Unfortunately, recent incidents affecting lawyers in the performance of their duties have left much to be desired. Lawyers should be at liberty to defend clients of their choice without being heckled. Such unruly acts may stifle the provision of bro bono cases by well-meaning lawyers.”

Again, at the Virtual Mid-Year Conference -June 5, 2026, the GBA President noted as follows:

“Recently, a former Vice President of the Bar, Justice Minka Premo and his young female associate, who had gone to the defence of a client at BNI, were subjected to such regrettable treatment. They were arrested and detained overnight, much to everyone’s chargrin. The female lawyer, a nursing mother, was separated from her baby and was initially unable to feed her baby.

This worrying incident has left in its trail serious unanswered questions: If these persons were under the security radar prior to their visit to BNI, why had they not been invited earlier? We trust that such agencies will keep faith with the creed of Ghana’s Constitution- freedom and justice in order that the rendering of professional services to the citizenry is not hampered.”

The GBA calls on EOCO and all relevant state institutions and agencies to ensure that all actions taken in the discharge of their responsibilities are consistent with due process, fairness, and respect for the rights of all persons involved. The rule of law demands not only that justice be done, but that it be seen to be done. The independence of the legal profession is a cornerstone of every democratic society and must be protected at all times”.

See the post below:

@ghnow_ The Majority Leader has described as mischievous claims that Ghana has become a “cocaine coast” under President Mahama. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ The Truth Behind Terry’s Death #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

‘I’m sure the US is feeling the pinch’ – Mahama calls for the end of US-Iran war

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‘I’m sure the US is feeling the pinch’ – Mahama calls for the end of US-Iran war

President John Dramani Mahama has called for the end of the ongoing US-Iran war to ease pressure on businesses.

According to John Mahama, he is sure the US itself is feeling the pinch of the ongoing conflict in Iran.

Mahama noted that the ongoing conflict in Iran poses a challenge to the global economic environment, expressing hope for an early end to the war.

He disclosed that Ghana’s recent economic performance has been encouraging, with the economy growing by 6% in 2025 and recording 6.4% year-on-year growth in the first quarter of 2026.

Speaking at the  US-Ghana Presidential Roundtable in New York, President Mahama stated, “Of course, everybody knows what’s happening in Iran. We’re praying that that conflict comes to an end early. I’m sure that the US itself is feeling the pinch of that war”.

“These gains matter, but stability is not an end in itself. We start stability so businesses can plan with greater certainty. Investors can decide with greater confidence and productive enterprises can grow,” President Mahama said.

Mahama added, “The gains we have made must now begin to show in the cost of doing business. Interest rates must come down.  Long-term financing must become more available.”

“More capital must also flow into agriculture, manufacturing, energy, infrastructure, technology, and other productive activities,” he added.

Meanwhile, President John Dramani Mahama has said Ghana’s economy is resilient and capable of withstanding external shocks.

According to John Mahama, Ghana’s economy used to stand on broomsticks; but today it is standing on concrete pillars.

Mahama noted that in the past Ghana’s economy was vulnerable to developments in the global economic environment, but argued that today the economy is stabilised despite international challenges.

Speaking during his accountability engagement in Wa at the weekend as part of his #ResettingGhana Tour of the Upper West Region, Mahama stated, “In the past, Ghana’s economy used to stand on broomsticks. As soon as something happens in the world, it comes crashing down. Today Ghana’s economy is standing on concrete pillars, so even when there’s an earthquake, the country is still standing.

“This Iran-Israel-US war, if it had happened some years back, by now the economy would have come crashing down, but happily it’s been well managed,” the President explained.

Mahama, however, noted that while the economy remained stable, external developments had slowed the pace of progress expected by the Government.

According to John Mahama, his government planned to invest GH¢2.5 billion annually in five key sectors of the economy under its proposed “new economy” initiative aimed at creating jobs and opportunities for young people.

President Mahama disclosed that the Minister of Finance would unveil the initiative in the 2027 Budget Statement, with investments targeted at sectors including pharmaceuticals, agriculture and agro-processing, tourism, and power generation.

“These are not going to be government businesses. Government is not going to set up state-owned enterprises with GH₵2.5 billion a year. It is going to go to the private sector to set up the businesses,” President Mahama indicated.

Mahama further urged entrepreneurs and private sector operators to take advantage of the opportunities to expand businesses and create employment for the youth.

@ghnow_ Counsel for Salomey has provided an update on what transpired in court today. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ The Majority Leader has described as mischievous claims that Ghana has become a “cocaine coast” under President Mahama. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

Call off your strike, gov’t working to address your concerns – Education Ministry tells teacher unions

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Call off your strike, gov’t working to address your concerns – Education Ministry tells teacher unions

The spokesperson for the Education Ministry, Hashmin Mohammed, has appealed to the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) and Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG) to call off their strike as government works to address their concerns.

Hashmin Mohammed disclosed that the government had made significant progress in addressing the concerns raised by the unions.

According to the Education Ministry, the three teacher unions’ strike could undermine efforts to restore the academic calendar, which now sees KG through primary, Junior High School, Senior High School, and then university return to school in September.

Speaking to Citi News, Spokesperson for the Education Ministry, Hashmin Mohammed stated, “It took this government a lot of effort to be able to reverse the academic calendar. For the first time in many years, we are having schoolchildren from KG through primary, Junior High School, Senior High School, and then university reporting to school in September”.

He disclosed that the Education Minister, Haruna Iddrisu, has been engaging relevant stakeholders to resolve the issues.

According to him, the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) and the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD) were expected to engage the unions to find a resolution to the outstanding matters.

“It is our expectation that the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) and then the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD) will be able to engage the teacher unions so that collectively we can find a solution to this issue,” he said.

The development follows three main associations of teachers, namely the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), and the Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG), declaring a nationwide industrial action effective Friday, September 25, 2026.

The teacher unions declared that the immediate strike action follows unresolved concerns about their conditions of service, promotion and deprived-area allowance.

At a press briefing in Accra on Friday, September 25, the unions directed all pre-tertiary teachers to lay down their tools and leave the classroom until further notice.

King Ali Awudu, President of PRETAG, disclosed that the unions’ conditions of service expired in June, with efforts to negotiate a new agreement since last year yielding no results.

He stated, “You will recall that we have once engaged the media and informed you that our conditions of service have expired since June. All efforts to get a new one negotiated since last year have yielded no fruits”.

The unions also expressed their dissatisfaction with a proposed 10% increase in the digital allowance, which currently stands at GH¢800 per year.

They further noted that agreement to automatically place about 80,000 teachers who sat for aptitude tests in December 2025 and February 2026 on the appropriate salary scale had also not been implemented.

Mr Awudu also stressed that the deprived-area allowance has still not been resolved since 2009.

The union argued that the commitment to introduce a 20% allowance for teachers in deprived areas has yet to be implemented.

“We are asking all teachers that with immediate effect, as soon as this information goes out, they should put all their tools down, leave the classroom, go home and have a very good rest and wait until they hear from leadership again,” he said.

@ghnow_ Counsel for Salomey has provided an update on what transpired in court today. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ Counsel for Salomey has provided an update on what transpired in court today. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

“Evil propaganda” – Maurice Ampaw speaks on Ghana Jollof sponsorship allegations

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“Evil propaganda” – Maurice Ampaw speaks on Ghana Jollof sponsorship allegations

Maurice Ampaw, a private legal practitioner, has broken his silence over allegations made against him by media personality Blakk Rasta of sponsoring Ghana Jollof, declared wanted by the police.

According to Maurice Ampaw, the allegations made by Blakk Rasta are false, arguing that the state apparatus has all the necessary tools to come out to tell Ghanaians who and who is sponsoring Ghana Jollof.

He further urged the Ghanaian public to ignore what he described as an ‘evil propaganda’.

Speaking in an interview, Maurice Ampaw stated, “It’s very unfortunate that Blakk Rasta will make such a false allegation against me, alleging that I sponsor Ghana Jollof or even tell Jollof what to do. It’s very unfortunate, and I will tell Blakk Rasta that the director of CID is conducting investigations. They have all the necessary state apparatus and they have come out to tell Ghanaians who and who is sponsoring Ghana Jollof.

“Now, why should Blakk Rasta be the person to make those false allegations? Why don’t you wait for the director of CID to come out with his findings? Or to make it known to the public? See, these are some of the things we do, not only to damage the image, but to create unnecessary tension in this country,” he said.

“Let the public ignore this evil propaganda, because the security agencies are in control. So, if they [police] have evidence, they would have called me; I’m not above the law… If I have done something untoward, or if there’s a case I find myself in, or there’s even an iota of evidence that I have any relationship with Ghana Jollof, why not?” he added.

“As I sit here, I don’t know who even Ghana Jollof is. They can even come for my phone. I will even make my phone available to them,” he concluded.

His comment comes on the heels of Blakk Rasta, who alleged that lawyer and New Patriotic Party (NPP) member Maurice Ampaw is one of the sponsors of controversial TikToker, “Ghana Jollof”.

According to Blakk Rasta, Maurice Ampaw allegedly provides money and content to the account and also gives instructions on how certain individuals should be attacked online.

He further alleged that the videos are sent to the nurse Salomey Awity Baffour, who is currently in police custody following her arrest by the police.

Speaking on his show, Blakk Rasta stated, “This woman here [Ghana Jollof] has sponsors from the NPP… There is an NPP lawyer who is also part of the sponsors of Ghana Jollof. You know who that guy is? Maurice Ampaw. These are the nation wreckers… When you go through the communications, Maurice Ampaw finds videos, sends them through this woman called Salomey, sometimes directly to Ghana Jollof to react to this video.

“He tells them, ‘In this video, this is what this person says. Insult them, finish them, but don’t say this, don’t say that. I have sent you money,’ and he comes to sit down on the radio and TV and behaves like somebody who loves Ghana,” he alleged.

He further disclosed that more than 600 pages of information had been retrieved from a phone linked to the whole case of Ghana Jollof.

“So many pages, over 600 pages of information from that phone alone,” he claimed.

According to Black Rasta, the “Ghana Jollof” account was not acting alone and that several people were behind its activities.

“If Ghana Jollof is despicable, these are the authors of Ghana Jollof, and many more are following suit… these are the people behind Ghana Jollof,” he added.

Blakk Rasta added, “We know that time after time, politicians sponsor people to do their bidding”.

“How should the nation look at it? Should we open our eyes and watch this properly? Who is sponsoring who? In the West, all these things are tracked, but over here, anybody can sponsor just anybody to go out there and do their bidding, criminal or not,” he concluded.

@ghnow_ The Truth Behind Terry’s Death #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ Counsel for Salomey has provided an update on what transpired in court today. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

EOCO’s attempted arrest of Manhyia South MP a grave concern – GBA  

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EOCO’s attempted arrest of Manhyia South MP a grave concern – GBA  

The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) has condemned an attempt by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to arrest Manhyia South MP Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah at the premises of the Accra High Court.

According to the GBA, EOCO’s attempt to arrest the Manhyia South MP at the High Court, where he had gone to represent a client as a lawyer, is a grave concern.

The GBA stated that after reviewing the videos of the botched arrest, they observed Lawyer Afoakwa was assaulted by a woman who was subsequently identified by EOCO as one of its officers.

They acknowledged that no individual is above the law but said enforcement agencies must ensure that investigations and arrests involving lawyers are carried out in accordance with constitutional and professional safeguards, particularly when a lawyer is performing official duties on behalf of a client.

GBA also warned that failure to respect those safeguards could have broader consequences for the legal profession.

In a statement dated September 24, the GBA stated, “The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) has noted with grave concern the attempt by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to arrest the Manhyia South Member of Parliament, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, on the premises of the Accra High Court Complex where he had gone to represent a client in his capacity as a lawyer, on 23 September 2026.

The GBA also observed in the widely circulated videos of the attempted arrest that another lawyer, Mr Enoch Anhwere Afoakwa, complained of being assaulted by the lady, subsequently confirmed by EOCO to be its officer.

While no individual is above the law, any investigation or enforcement action involving a member of the legal profession, especially when they are representing clients, must be conducted strictly in accordance with constitutional guarantees, applicable legal procedures, and respect for professional independence. Attempts to circumvent these safeguards create the perception of intimidation and may have a chilling effect on the legal profession as a whole.

Lawyers play a critical role in the administration of justice and the protection of the rights of citizens. Any action that appears to interfere with their ability to discharge their professional duties, particularly through arbitrary or irregular measures, risks undermining public confidence in the justice system and the rule of law.

It is noteworthy that the current President of the GBA, in her speech at the 2025 annual GBA conference in Wa, had cause to make the following remarks: “

The Bar must never waiver in its role as the voice of the voiceless. Unfortunately, recent incidents affecting lawyers in the performance of their duties have left much to be desired. Lawyers should be at liberty to defend clients of their choice without being heckled. Such unruly acts may stifle the provision of bro bono cases by well-meaning lawyers.”

Again, at the Virtual Mid-Year Conference -June 5, 2026, the GBA President noted as follows:

“Recently, a former Vice President of the Bar, Justice Minka Premo and his young female associate, who had gone to the defence of a client at BNI, were subjected to such regrettable treatment. They were arrested and detained overnight much to everyone’s chargrin. The female lawyer, a nursing mother, was separated from her baby and was initially unable to feed her baby.

This worrying incident has left in its trail serious unanswered questions: If these persons were under the security radar, prior to their visit to BNI, why had they not been invited earlier? We trust that such agencies will keep faith with the creed of Ghana’s Constitution- freedom and justice in order that the rendering of professional services to the citizenry is not hampered.”

The GBA calls on EOCO and all relevant state institutions and agencies to ensure that all actions taken in the discharge of their responsibilities are consistent with due process, fairness, and respect for the rights of all persons involved. The rule of law demands not only that justice be done, but that it be seen to be done. The independence of the legal profession is a cornerstone of every democratic society and must be protected at all times’.

See the statement below:

PRESS-STATEMENT-11Download
@ghnow_ The Majority Leader has described as mischievous claims that Ghana has become a “cocaine coast” under President Mahama. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ The Truth Behind Terry’s Death #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

ECG workers to stage nationwide demo on Sept 29 against private sector participation

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ECG workers to stage nationwide demo on Sept 29 against private sector participation

The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) workers, made up of the Senior Staff Union (SSU) and the Junior Staff Union (JSU), have announced plans to stage a nationwide demonstration against the proposed Private Sector Participation (PSP) in the company.

The ECG workers announced that the demonstration will take place across all operational regions on Tuesday, September 29, 2026.

In a directive signed by Christopher Apawu, National Divisional Chairman, and Lucky Larry Agboka, National Divisional Chairman of the Junior Staff Union, on Thursday made this known.

The ECG workers’ action forms part of the union’s ongoing resistance to the PSP arrangement, which will culminate in the presentation of a petition to President John Dramani Mahama.

According to the unions, a petition would be presented to regional ministers in all their operational regions for onward attention.

The directive to all divisional and branch chairpersons disclosed that the demonstration is scheduled to begin at 8:00 am and end at 4:00 pm.

ECG Workers are expected to assemble at the forecourt of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), while in Kumasi, the ECG Regional Office at the Airport Roundabout has been designated as the assembly point.

However, workers in other regions are expected to gather at the respective ECG regional offices.

According to the unions, workers will be wearing red armbands as part of their declared action and will continue until another phase of the action is announced.

They further disclosed that the

Public Utility Workers Union (PUWU), which is the convener of the demonstration, will lead the exercise.

In other news, Data Scientist and Policy Analyst, Alfred Appiah, has detailed that the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) posted a 2.5 billion loss in 2025 despite a ¢12 billion forex windfall.

The policy analyst, in a post shared on social media, disclosed that ECG reported an operational loss of GHS14.35 billion in 2025, which was reduced to a net loss of GHS2.52 billion after a GHS12.16 billion forex gain from cedi performance, contrasting with an GHS 8.3 billion loss in 2024 driven by opposite forex effects.

He further cited that in 2024, the government provided GHS17.03 billion as a grant in 2024 and GHS20.86 billion as a repayable loan in 2025 for power purchases, totalling nearly GHS 38 billion in support that diverts funds from infrastructure like roads, schools, and health facilities to cover ECG’s shortfall.

Alfred Appiah detailed that efficiency at ECG is not a technical concern but a fiscal one.

He argued that, stripping out forex movements and government support, ECG loses roughly 15 billion cedis a year from its core operations, with distribution losses also about the same, 26.88% in 2024 against 27.05% in 2025.

The policy analyst argued that underscored that efficiency gains in collections and loss reduction are essential to end ongoing taxpayer-funded bailouts.

In a post shared on X, Alfred Appiah detailed, “ECG has published its 2025 audited financial statements, and as expected, the cedi’s performance did magic for its bottom line. ECG buys power in dollars and collects revenue in cedis, so exchange rate movements matter significantly.

Operationally, ECG lost about 14.35 billion cedis in 2025. A forex gain of 12.16 billion cedis then pulled the reported loss down to 2.5 billion after tax, from 8.3 billion in 2024. That 2024 figure was also driven by the exchange rate, in the opposite direction.

Government support is the other half of the story. In 2024, ECG received a grant of 17.03 billion cedis, booked as income. In 2025, government paid 20.86 billion cedis to independent power producers and fuel suppliers on ECG’s behalf, but this time it was recorded as a loan ECG must pay back. Ato will take his money back.

But it’s nearly 38 billion cedis of state support across two years. Money from the Consolidated Fund that could have gone to classrooms, roads, clinics and sanitation systems. Every cedi that covers ECG’s shortfall is a cedi not spent somewhere else.

This is why efficiency at ECG is not a technical concern. It is a fiscal one. Strip out forex movements and government support, and nothing has changed. ECG loses roughly 15 billion cedis a year from its core operations. Distribution losses are also about the same, 26.88% in 2024 against 27.05% in 2025.

Until the losses come down and collections improve, the bailouts continue, and taxpayers shoulder the burden”.

@ghnow_ The Truth Behind Terry’s Death #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ The Majority Leader has described as mischievous claims that Ghana has become a “cocaine coast” under President Mahama. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

3 Teacher unions declare immediate nationwide strike

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3 Teacher unions declare immediate nationwide strike

The three main associations of teachers, namely the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), and the Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG), have declared a nationwide industrial action effective Friday, September 25, 2026.

The teacher unions declared that the immediate strike action follows unresolved concerns about their conditions of service, promotion and deprived-area allowance.

At a press briefing in Accra on Friday, September 25, the unions directed all pre-tertiary teachers to lay down their tools and leave the classroom until further notice.

King Ali Awudu, President of PRETAG, disclosed that the unions’ conditions of service expired in June, with efforts to negotiate a new agreement since last year yielding no results.

He stated, “You will recall that we have once engaged the media and informed you that our conditions of service have expired since June. All efforts to get a new one negotiated since last year have yielded no fruits”.

The unions also expressed their dissatisfaction with a proposed 10% increase in the digital allowance, which currently stands at GH¢800 per year.

They further noted that agreement to automatically place about 80,000 teachers who sat for aptitude tests in December 2025 and February 2026 on the appropriate salary scale had also not been implemented.

Mr Awudu also stressed that the deprived-area allowance has still not been resolved since 2009.

The union argued that the commitment to introduce a 20% allowance for teachers in deprived areas has yet to be implemented.

“We are asking all teachers that with immediate effect, as soon as this information goes out, they should put all their tools down, leave the classroom, go home and have a very good rest and wait until they hear from leadership again,” he said.

Meanwhile, Haruna Iddrisu, the Minister of Education, has said the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service (GES) are working in collaboration to improve the welfare, motivation and retention of teachers.

According to Haruna Iddrisu, the new measures are particularly for those in rural and deprived communities, adding that Teacher welfare is a national priority.

Speaking on the floor of Parliament on July 2, 2026, Haruna Iddrisu said, “The Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the Ghana Education Service, is implementing a number of targeted strategies to improve the welfare, motivation and retention of teachers across the country, particularly those posted to rural and underserved areas.”

“Teacher welfare is positioned as a national priority to strengthen their motivation, dignity and retention, and for long-term education outcome gains. As part of government efforts to attract, motivate and retain teachers in deprived and underserved communities, special incentives have been put in place for teachers who are self-posting to such areas,” he stated.

The Education Minister added, “I am happy to note that one of these incentives is a reduction in the number of years required to qualify for study leave. Originally, it was three years if you were in a deprived area. We have reduced it now to two years. So any person who is self-posting to a rural deprived area after two years of service can apply for study leave with pay”.

“We are also engaged in continuous education and capacity building of teachers across the country. In addition, the government is committed to rolling out a 20 per cent salary-related rural posting allowance for teachers serving in rural and deprived areas. The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Education are working on implementing that. A significant thing that affects the welfare of teachers is their shelter housing.”

Haruna Iddrisu added, “A significant thing that affects the welfare of teachers is their shelter housing. We are currently engaging in some discussion to deploy the Teacher Dabre Initiative of President Mahama, which was in the NDC manifesto, which will provide accommodation for teachers in rural areas to address the housing challenges that affect teacher deployment and retention in those areas”.

“Under this initiative, deliberate measures are being taken to ensure that the construction of new school facilities is accompanied by teacher accommodation. So this time we have directed that if contracts are awarded for school blocks, they must naturally include accommodation facilities for teachers,” he added.

See the statement below:

@ghnow_ They should come and arrest all of us, we are ready – Protestor #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ Madina MP Francis-Xavier Sosu reportedly collapsed while addressing students at GIMPA on Thursday, September 24. His condition has not yet been independently confirmed. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – ADAAMAINA

Maurice Ampaw, one of ‘Ghana Jollof’ sponsors – Blakk Rasta alleges

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Maurice Ampaw, one of ‘Ghana Jollof’ sponsors – Blakk Rasta alleges

Blakk Rasta, a controversial Ghanaian media personality, has alleged that lawyer and New Patriotic Party (NPP) member Maurice Ampaw is one of the sponsors of controversial TikToker, “Ghana Jollof”.

According to Blakk Rasta, Maurice Ampaw allegedly provides money and content to the account and also gives instructions on how certain individuals should be attacked online.

He further alleged that the videos are sent to the nurse Salomey Awity Baffour, who is currently in police custody following her arrest by the police.

Speaking on his show, Blakk Rasta stated, “This woman here [Ghana Jollof] has sponsors from the NPP… There is an NPP lawyer who is also part of the sponsors of Ghana Jollof. You know who that guy is? Maurice Ampaw. These are the nation wreckers… When you go through the communications, Maurice Ampaw finds videos, sends them through this woman called Salomey, sometimes directly to Ghana Jollof to react to this video.

“He tells them, ‘In this video, this is what this person says. Insult them, finish them, but don’t say this, don’t say that. I have sent you money,’ and he comes to sit down on the radio and TV and behaves like somebody who loves Ghana,” he alleged.

He further disclosed that more than 600 pages of information had been retrieved from a phone linked to the whole case of Ghana Jollof.

“So many pages, over 600 pages of information from that phone alone,” he claimed.

According to Black Rasta, the “Ghana Jollof” account was not acting alone and that several people were behind its activities.

“If Ghana Jollof is despicable, these are the authors of Ghana Jollof, and many more are following suit… these are the people behind Ghana Jollof,” he added.

Blakk Rasta added, “We know that time after time, politicians sponsor people to do their bidding”.

“How should the nation look at it? Should we open our eyes and watch this properly? Who is sponsoring who? In the West, all these things are tracked, but over here, anybody can sponsor just anybody to go out there and do their bidding, criminal or not,” he concluded.

The development follows the controversial TikToker, “Ghana Jollof”, who has been declared wanted by the Ghana Police Service over insults and hateful speech.

According to the Police, Ghana Jollof may currently be hiding in the United Kingdom.

The Police is appealing to members of the public who may have information on her whereabouts to assist with her identification and arrest.

The Police disclosed that anyone with information on Barbara Asantewaa Kodua’s whereabouts is encouraged to report to the nearest police station or contact the Police on 0500100010.

The police disclosed that they have been monitoring a TikTok account under the name “Ghana Jollof”, which the accused person used to issue offensive and inciting comments as well as publish false news likely to cause fear and alarm.

In one of her videos, shared by the police, she is heard claiming that there was an attempted coup d’état because President John Dramani Mahama has infuriated some soldiers with his actions.

Providing more updates, the Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, Lydia Yaako Donkor, briefing the nation in a press conference on September 18, 2026, stated, “As part of continuous efforts to clamp down on illicit online activities, the Ghana Police Service has, for some time now, observed a TikTok account under the name Ghana Jollof which has been used to issue offensive and inciting comments as well as to publish false news which is likely to cause fear and alarm. Police intelligence revealed the identity of the account owner to be Babara Asantewaa Kodua, believed to be domiciled in the United Kingdom.

“Over a period of time, Babara Asantewaa Kodua has used her social media platform to produce and publish videos containing offensive and inciting statements with the potential to provoke violence… In one of the videos under investigation, the suspect, Barbara Asantewaa Kodua, falsely made the claim that there was a near coup d’état in the Jubilee House, amongst other things”.

Watch the video below:

@showdown.trends Maurice Ampaw is allegedly one of the sponsors of Gana Jollof. Blakk Rasta reveals #showdowntrends ♬ original sound – Showdown Trends
@ghnow_ NPP Women’s Wing members chant, “Jane Naana, Free Salomey! Lordina, Free Salomey!” during their protest at the High Court. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ “Salomey was kept in custody for more than 48 hours before being processed to court.” — Hon. Jerry Ahmed. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

Nurse in Ghana Jollof case will send NDC into opposition – Political scientist

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Nurse in Ghana Jollof case will send NDC into opposition – Political scientist

Political scientist Amakye Boateng has said that the case involving Salomey Awiti Baffoe, a senior nursing officer based in Techiman linked to the Ghana Jollof case, will send the ruling NDC into opposition. 

Amakye Boateng criticised the conduct of the security agencies in the case, adding that the situation could have political consequences for the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC).

According to him, the gains made, the stabilisation of the cedi, and Mahama’s vision to build an expressway are being dismantled by the police’s action.

Speaking on Kumasi-based Angel FM, he stated, “Personally, I am still at a loss that the EOCO boss is still at post,” he said. “As for this one, I will not mince words. This is very embarrassing.”

He added, The behaviour of the police in handling the lady’s case is sending the NDC to opposition if they don’t know”.

“The gains made, the stabilisation of the cedi, the President’s vision to build an expressway is being dismantled by the police’s action,” he fumed.

“When did Ghana use political power to harass citizens?” he asked.

He said the controversy was particularly troubling at a time when many Ghanaians were already dealing with economic difficulties.

“At a time when people are faced with hardship, the struggles we are facing, and we are being battered with this show of force, then Ghana will not be a place where democracy works,” he said.

“So, whoever is the IGP, this is your work. I am really surprised these things are going on,” he said.

Meanwhile, the High Court in Accra has denied the bail application of Salomey Awity Baffoe, a senior nursing officer based in Techiman linked to the Ghana Jollof case.

Salomey Awity Baffoe is facing a charge of abetment of crime in connection with content attributed to the “Ghana Jollof” social media account.

The High Court declined the application, arguing the ongoing nature of investigations and concerns that evidence could be deleted if Ms Baffoe is granted bail.

Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, the lawyer for the nurse, made this known following a virtual hearing before the court.

“The court said that [1] investigations are ongoing. [2] The investigations are cyber-related; therefore, releasing the woman may result in her deleting all the information that could serve as evidence”, lawyer Baffour Awuah said.

The High Court decision means Ms Baffoe will remain in custody while investigations continue.

Also, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah has denied allegations by the Ghana Police Service that his client received money from the operator of the “Ghana Jollof” TikTok account to support the publication and circulation of online content.

According to Baffour Awuah, his client has never received any money to recruit people or to support the account’s activities.

The denial follows allegations by the Ghana Police Service that Barbara Asantewaa Kodua, whom the Police identify as the operator of the “Ghana Jollof” account, remitted money to Baffoe in Ghana to support the publication and circulation of online content.

The Police claimed that Baffoe consequently distributed portions of the funds to other individuals involved in redistributing videos produced by Kodua across various social media platforms.

The Police further detailed that a forensic examination of Baffoe’s mobile phone, audio and video files, and mobile money transaction records provided evidence of the alleged financial arrangements between the two women.

However, Lawyer for Salomey Awity Baffoe, speaking on Citi FM on September 22, 2026, stated, “My client has never received money to recruit anybody or has never given money to anybody to recruit someone”.

He further questioned the information presented by the Director-General of the Criminal Investigation Department, COP Lydia Donkor, during a press briefing on the case, saying, “The CID Director-General came out and then did a press conference and put out certain information. I want to say that that information is doubtful in nature”.

Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah also said his client did not know anyone identified as “Jollof”.

The lawyer stressed that he would not speculate about the identity of the person behind the account but would focus on the specific allegations against his client.

“So let me say this here, my client has never known anybody called Jollof. You don’t have to know by that name. You can know the person by their real name,” he added.

@ghnow_ Counsel for Salomey has provided an update on what transpired in court today. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ NPP Women’s Wing members chant, “Jane Naana, Free Salomey! Lordina, Free Salomey!” during their protest at the High Court. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ Counsel for Salomey has provided an update on what transpired in court today. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

Ghana’s golden era is beginning – Ato Forson

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Ghana’s golden era is beginning – Ato Forson

Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, the Finance Minister, has said Ghana’s golden era is just beginning.

According to Ato Forson, Government’s new blueprint for Ghana’s economic transformation would be announced in the 2027 Budget.

 The Finance Minister urged businesses to invest with confidence, assuring them that the government will sustain the gains made in stabilising the economy.

Speaking during a meeting with the leadership of the Association of Ghana Industries and leading captains of industry, Dr Forson stated, “Feel free to invest because we will sustain the gains. The golden era for Ghana is beginning, and our new blueprint will be announced in the 2027 Budget”.

Ato Forson stressed that the substantial improvements in the macroeconomic environment would be protected and strengthened.

“That is why the 2027 Budget will move Ghana from stability to transformation,” he stated.

He further cited that President John Dramani Mahama had already announced plans to invest US$10 billion in strategic sectors over the next four years.

“We want to produce more, add value and create more jobs for the Ghanaian economy. This means addressing the fundamental challenges we face as a country,” Ato Forson stated.

According to Ato Forson, the Government had deliberately reduced the cost of capital and would continue working to drive it down to support business expansion and investment.

He further called on industry to support domestic revenue mobilisation to reduce the Government’s reliance on excessive borrowing.

“We need your support to raise the necessary revenue so that the government does not borrow beyond its means, as we saw in 2022,” he said.

Meanwhile, Economist Professor Peter Quartey has told President John Dramani Mahama and his government that Ghana is still highly vulnerable to external economic shocks.

The economist warned that due to Ghana’s dependence on imported fuel and gold exports, the country is still highly vulnerable to external economic shocks.

According to him, Ghana has limited buffers to cushion the economy from major global disruptions, adding that continued importation of processed fuel leaves the economy exposed to changes in international conditions.

Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express Business Edition, Prof Quartey stated, “Yes, you will notice that, I mean, for these countries that are even fighting, Iran, the U.S., and the rest, they have a buffer. They have oil reserves that they can fall on.”

He stressed that Ghana does not have the same level of protection.

“I mean, we basically have very little buffer to fall on, and therefore, when they sneeze, we catch a cold,” Prof Quartey said.

Professor Peter Quartey identified Ghana’s continued dependence on imported processed fuel as a major concern.

He stated, “And I think we are not processing enough of the oil. We are an oil producer, but we are not processing quite a good chunk of the oil. We continue to import processed fuel, and that is a big problem for us”.

“Secondly, we’re relying too much on fuel, petrol and, you know, crude, for instance, whereas in other countries, other forms of fuel, green energy, green transition is happening rapidly,” he said.

He noted that the slow pace of the transition to other energy sources further increases Ghana’s vulnerability.

“That is not happening so much with us, and I think that makes us very vulnerable to external shocks,” Prof Quartey said.

He further raised concerns about the structure of Ghana’s export earnings, noting that gold currently accounts for about 60% of the country’s export earnings.

“And if you even look at our exports, for instance, at the moment, gold accounts for almost 60% or 61% of our export earnings,” he said.

“That puts you in a very vulnerable situation,” he said.

“Should gold prices tumble, or should anything happen to the international market, we are likely to suffer the consequences.”

@ghnow_ NPP Women’s Wing members chant, “Jane Naana, Free Salomey! Lordina, Free Salomey!” during their protest at the High Court. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ The Truth Behind Terry’s Death #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

“First Lady, Not English Scholar” – Victoria Hammah slams Ghanaians mocking Lordina Mahama’s English

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“First Lady, Not English Scholar” – Victoria Hammah slams Ghanaians mocking Lordina Mahama’s English

Victoria Hammah, a former Deputy Minister of Communications and prominent NDC member, has slammed Ghanaians on social media criticising Ghana’s First Lady, Lordina Mahama, over her fluency in the country’s official language, English.

According to Victoria Hammah, the job of the First Lady is to serve the people of Ghana and not to demonstrate fluency in the English language.

In a social media post on September 24, 2026, to add her voice to the brouhaha, Victoria Hammah argued that Ghana should rethink its obsession with what she described as “good English.”

Victoria Hammah, “First Lady, Not English Scholar.

“I struggled in the Czech Republic because English isn’t their dominant language. Perhaps Ghana should rethink its obsession with ‘good English.’ Our obsession with flawless spoken English is a colonial hangover. The First Lady’s job is to serve the people, not to pass an English examination.”

Victoria Hammah’s comments come on the heels of criticism from some social media users who have taken aim at Lordina Mahama over her command of the English language.

Some Ghanaians on social media have been sharing clips from Lordina Mahama’s previous public engagements, making mockery of her English-language delivery.

Netizens sharing clips of the video stated, “First Lady’s (H.E. Lordina Mahama) speech at the OAFLAD as part of the 81st UN session.

Hmmmmmmmm”.

Another stated, “Don’t let Ghana Jollof see this video else Mahama will arrest another innocent nursing mother. But Lordina to wosop. She has no formal education ana cos eii First Lady paaa nie”.

Meanwhile, some Ghanaians reacting to Victoria Hammah’s remarks stated, “A few months ago u guys were mocking NPP for Wontumi chairmanship. Becos is involved Mahama’s wife we should forget the content”.

“But you guys were on Wontumi’s neck not long ago. Or……”, a netizen added.

A Facebook user added, “A country that chooses English as its official language is now saying obsession with flawless spoken English is a colonial hangover. Heeerrr”.  

“And you think it was the English that was her problem? In any case, was she forced to mount the podium at all cost?”, another Ghanaian added.

“ENGLISH IS GHANA’S FIRST LANGUAGE. FOR A SUPPOSEDLY MASTER’S DEGREE HOLDER IN COURSES TAUGHT IN ENGLISH, THE ADAGE TO WHOM MUCH IS GIVEN, MUCH IS EXPECTED APTLY APPLIES”, a netizen added.

“There is something we call a speech defect; it has to do with speech and not necessarily a particular language. In other words, it may affect any language depending on the defects. No one has power over this; you can only undergo training or therapy to minimise it. That even depends on how early you start this intervention. Just educating you”, a Facebooker added.

One last netizen wrote, “I don’t think anyone is interested in whether or not she’s an English scholar. But so far as English remains Ghana’s official language and she chooses to use it instead of any of our local languages on an international stage, then she must get it right”.

See the post below:

@ghnow_ The Majority Leader has described as mischievous claims that Ghana has become a “cocaine coast” under President Mahama. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ Members of the NPP Women’s Wing have staged a protest at the High Court following the arrest of Nurse Salomey Bafor Awiti. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

 ‘I became a politician’s wife overnight’ – Samira Bawumia

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 ‘I became a politician’s wife overnight’ – Samira Bawumia

Samira Bawumia, the former Second Lady of Ghana, has said she never imagined becoming the wife of a politician.

According to Samira Bawumia, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia was working in the banking sector when they got married, adding that she became a politician’s wife overnight.

She further disclosed that her transition into political life came unexpectedly after her husband was offered a political role.

Speaking at an event organised by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the United Kingdom, Samira Bawumia stated, “When I married my husband, he was working at the bank. He is an economist, right? I didn’t marry a politician. Never in my wildest dreams did I think, in fact, I didn’t want to marry a politician”.

“I never imagined that I would be one. And then I woke up one day, my husband was being offered [a political position]. We didn’t sleep for a night,” she recounted.

“So overnight, I became a politician’s wife. I made the best of it,” she said.

Samira Bawumia used her experience to encourage women to embrace opportunities even when they do not feel completely prepared or confident.

She stated, “If we wait until we feel completely confident already, then many of us will never begin. Many of us will never apply for that position. Many of us will never start that business”.

“Many of us will never go back to school, or write that proposal, or contest that election, or speak up in the meeting. So please, just do it. Raise your hand.”

Some Ghanaians sharing their thoughts about the video stated, “Wife of the greatest liar Ghana politics has produced must be quite an achievement”.

A netizen added, “Is she the wife of the self-acclaimed mate who assisted @NAkufoAddo in getting our economy downgraded from B- to junk status by the global credit rating agencies?”.

One X user added, “Erm, I can understand Bawumia has been a very impactful vice. Can u help us recap some of the achievements ts of Samira? Those of us who don’t seem to know’.

A netizen added, “Still God’s Plan and it’s all in God’s hands forever. It is still possible @DMB”.

“I love her message

That was inspiring, but you and your husband belong to the wrong political party”, a netizen added.

One last critic criticised her comment, saying, “Timeline doesn’t support ‘woke up one day”

Samira married Bawumia in 2004. Bawumia was already Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana (2006-2008) – that’s one of the most political appointments in the country. He was appointed by President Kufuor.

When Akufo-Addo offered him running mate in 2008, he was literally choosing a high-profile technocrat from the central bank. That’s not a random overnight offer to a private citizen – it’s a very political trajectory. They had been in that world for years.

Didn’t want to marry a politician”

By 2004-2008, every economist at BoG knew the Deputy Governor role is political. If you marry the Deputy Governor, you know what you’re signing up for. It wasn’t like he was a classroom teacher and suddenly became a running mate”.

Watch the video below:

@ghnow_ NPP Women’s Wing members chant, “Jane Naana, Free Salomey! Lordina, Free Salomey!” during their protest at the High Court. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ NPP Women’s Wing members chant, “Jane Naana, Free Salomey! Lordina, Free Salomey!” during their protest at the High Court. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

Solomon Asamoah and Prof Ameyaw-Akumfi file defence in $2m SkyTrain case

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Solomon Asamoah and Prof Ameyaw-Akumfi file defence in $2m SkyTrain case

The Deputy Attorney-General, Dr Justice Srem-Sai, has revealed that the former Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF), Solomon Asamoah, and former Board Chairman, Prof Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, have finally filed their respective defences in the $2 million SkyTrain case.

In a post on X, Dr Justice Srem-Sai stated, “CASE UPDATE: The Republic v Solomon Asamoah & Prof Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi (Sky Train)

The two accused persons have finally filed their witness statements. They filed them yesterday – the deadline that the Court gave them.

This means that they are ready to explain why the Court should not convict them for the missing US$ 2 million public money”.

The development follows their attempts to have the trial dismissed, failing at the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.

It will be recalled that the Supreme Court threw out an application by the former Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF), Solomon Asamoah, seeking to halt proceedings in the ongoing Skytrain trial.

Solomon Asamoah, the first accused in the case, had filed an application for certiorari seeking to quash the High Court’s decision to dismiss his submission of no case after the prosecution closed its case.

He also applied for an interlocutory injunction to restrain the High Court from continuing with the trial pending the determination of his certiorari application.

However, the Supreme Court, sitting as a single-Judge court, dismissed the injunction application on Monday, August 31, 2026.

Justice Senyo Dzamefe, who heard the application last Friday, in his ruling held that the applicant’s own affidavit evidence did not disclose a serious case to be tried.

The Supreme Court also held that the trial judge’s decision to rule on the submission of no case was not in excess of jurisdiction.

Justice Senyo Dzamefe further found that the applicant had not established the irreparable harm that would result if the injunction were not granted.

The High Court later set September 23 for the accused persons to file their defence, should they choose to do so.

In the meantime, the second accused person, Prof. Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, former Board Chairman of GIIF, has filed another application for a stay of proceedings. The application is scheduled to be heard by the Court of Appeal on September 1.

It will be recalled that Solomon Asamoah and Prof. Ameyaw Ekumfi are standing trial over allegations that $2 million was paid towards the Skytrain project without the approval of the GIIF Board.

Mr Asamoah is a former CEO of GIIF, while Prof. Ameyaw Ekumfi is a former Board Chairman of the Fund.

See the post below:

@ghnow_ Majority MP George Kweku Ricketts-Hagan has criticised the previous NPP administration’s approach to combating drug-related cases, saying it relied on outdated technology to tackle modern narcotics challenges. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ The Majority in Parliament has addressed the press on recent narcotics-related cases across the country, highlighting enforcement efforts and the government’s response to the growing concerns over drug trafficking. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – Nkz_Lyrics & Caption – DJ NKAY HUB

2027 budget could be Ato Forson’s final reading

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2027 budget could be Ato Forson’s final reading

Reports circulating suggest that the 2027 Budget Statement could be the final budget reading by Dr Cassiel Ato Forson in his capacity as Ghana’s Minister of Finance.

According to Ghana Chronicles, its intelligence indicates that Ato Forson is not expected to be sacked or reshuffled but could instead resign from his position to pursue his presidential ambitions.

In a post shared on X, the platform stated: “From our intelligence, this could be the Finance Minister’s final Budget reading. He won’t be sacked or reshuffled, but… 👀”

Ghana Chronicles also alleged in a separate post that two aspirants in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer race could withdraw from the contest to support Ato Forson’s bid to lead the party.

“Two aspirants are dropping to support Ato Forson,” the post stated.

However, the claims by the Ghana Chronicles have not been independently verified.

Meanwhile, Paul Adom-Otchere, a veteran journalist and host of Metro TV’s Good Evening Ghana, has said Finance Minister Dr Ato Forson is winning the NDC flagbearer race.

The veteran journalist claimed that President John Dramani Mahama is giving Finance Minister Dr Ato Forson a full presidential red carpet.

He argued that President John Mahama is grooming Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson to succeed him.

According to Paul Adom-Otchere, President Mahama’s plan is for  Ato Forson to smash Asiedu Nketia to become the NDC presidential candidate and to face Dr Mahamudu Bawumia in 2028.

He highlighted that President Mahama, who received an invitation to be at the new Benin President’s inauguration, chose Ato Forson to attend instead of the Vice President or the Chief of Staff.

Speaking in one of the episodes of Good Evening Ghana, Paul Adom-Otchere detailed, “President Mahama nailed it. All of this Asiedu Nketia matter happened on Friday: Asiedu Nketia statement, Haruna Iddrisu’s response, it all happened on Friday, but President Mahama nailed it.

On Sunday, when the invitation had come for the Beninua government for the President of Ghana to attend the inauguration of the President of Benin, His Excellency the President John Dramani Mahama decided to send Cassiel Ato Forson to represent him. He is already building Ato Forson for the job. There is a metaphor for Ato Forson: ” Incoming President of Ghana”.

He further added, “The new president of Benin was also the Finance Minister; he ran for President and won. Who is Ato Forson today, the Finance Minister? Does he want to run for president? Yes, does he want to win? Yes. If he runs for president, does he mean Asiedu Nketia can also run? No, unless he joins The Base party.

Ato Forson is winning this thing. So President Mahama sends Ato Forson to Benin to represent Ghana. This is a presidential event; if the president cannot come it is the vice president who will go; if he cannot, the Chief of Staff will go. This is President Mahama giving Ato Forson a full presidential red carpet in Benin, preparing him for the job.

Whoa.

That’s Cassiel Ato Forson… Viewers, please clap for him… This is the president of Ghana who has then given the opportunity to his finance minister, whom he is grooming, to smash Asiedu Nketiah out of the race to become the NDC flag bearer and then do will fight the election in 2028. If he does not win, he is young. If Dr Bawumia wins, he will serve two terms. After two terms, they will remove you. Ato Forson will run in 2032, that is the plan of John Mahama. Goodnight to Asiedu Nketia for the NDC flagbearership”.

See the post below:

@ghnow_ NPP National Organizer Henry Nana Boakye describes EOCO’s attempted arrest of Manhyia South MP and legal counsel for Salomey Awiti Bafo, Baffour Awuah, as shameful #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ Majority MP George Kweku Ricketts-Hagan has criticised the previous NPP administration’s approach to combating drug-related cases, saying it relied on outdated technology to tackle modern narcotics challenges. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

“Leaders are human beings too” – Edem Agbana reacts to Madina MP’s collapse

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“Leaders are human beings too” – Edem Agbana reacts to Madina MP’s collapse

Eric Edem Agbana, the Member of Parliament for Ketu North, has reacted to his colleague, the Member of Parliament for Madina, Francis-Xavier Sosu, collapsing while delivering a speech at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA).

According to Edem Agbana, the Madina MP contacted him to represent him at the programme at GIMPA, but he told him he would not be available.

Edem Agbana explained that Sosu then indicated that, despite his busy schedule, he would try to attend because of the importance of engaging young people.

He wrote, “About a week ago today, I received a call from my friend and brother, Hon. Francis-Xavier Sosu, asking me to represent our party at a programme at GIMPA on Thursday, 24th September.

I told him I would not be available because I was leaving town for the UN General Assembly. He quickly responded, “It is a very hectic week for me, but let me try and go because these are opportunities to engage young people, and our party and government must not be missing such platforms.”

I was therefore deeply disturbed when I saw the video of what happened at that very programme he had insisted on attending.

The truth is, sometimes we make sacrifices in public service that nobody sees”.

Parts of his post added, “It reminded me that public service demands sacrifice, but we must not become so consumed by the work that we forget the people who love us and depend on us.

Leaders are human beings too. We get tired. We get overwhelmed. We fall sick. We have families waiting for us at home”.

Meanwhile, Parliament of Ghana has disclosed that Francis-Xavier Sosu, the Member of Parliament for Madina, is in a stable condition after falling ill while delivering a presentation at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA).

According to Parliament, the MP received immediate assistance at the event before being transferred to a medical facility for further medical attention.

Read his full post below:

“Midnight musings!!!

About a week ago today, I received a call from my friend and brother, Hon. Francis-Xavier Sosu, asking me to represent our party at a programme at GIMPA on Thursday, 24th September.

I told him I would not be available because I was leaving town for the UN General Assembly. He quickly responded, “It is a very hectic week for me, but let me try and go because these are opportunities to engage young people, and our party and government must not be missing such platforms.”

I was therefore deeply disturbed when I saw the video of what happened at that very programme he had insisted on attending.

The truth is, sometimes we make sacrifices in public service that nobody sees.

People complain that politicians do not pick their calls. What they often do not see is the other side of it: we receive hundreds of calls every single day. There is hardly a minute when my phone is not ringing. On top of the calls, thousands of messages come in daily.

Recently, I was in a four-hour meeting with my branch executives. I left my phone with one of them so I could concentrate on the meeting. When the meeting ended, he told me he had counted 65 missed calls in those four hours. He actually counted to the hearing of the entire meeting.

He was shocked.

But for many of us in public service, that is simply our daily reality.

Behind every missed call is often someone asking for help, someone with a problem, someone looking for an opportunity, someone seeking intervention or someone who simply wants to be heard. And because we genuinely want to serve, we keep pushing ourselves to respond to as many people as we can.

Sometimes, we push too far.

Recently, I almost lost my life because I was moving between meetings and commitments and did not make time to eat the entire day. By midnight, I was in severe pain. My wife sat beside me helplessly, in tears, and said something I will never forget:

“You are replaceable as a politician, but you are not replaceable as a husband and a father to our children.”

That statement touched me deeply.

It reminded me that public service demands sacrifice, but we must not become so consumed by the work that we forget the people who love us and depend on us.

Leaders are human beings too. We get tired. We get overwhelmed. We fall sick. We have families waiting for us at home.

Yet the calls keep coming. The messages keep coming. The meetings keep coming. The demands never really stop.

And sometimes, in our determination to serve everyone, we forget to take care of ourselves.

I am sharing this because I believe there is a lesson here for all of us.

Be patient with the people who serve you. A missed call does not always mean someone does not care. Sometimes, it simply means that at that very moment, there were 50, 100 or 200 other calls coming in too.

And to all of us in public service, we must also learn to pause.

Our constituents need us. Our parties need us. Our country needs us. But our families need us too — alive, healthy and present.

Francis, my brother, I was deeply saddened to see what happened. I know your commitment to public service, and I know the kind of person you are. You would probably still show up even when your body is asking you to stop.

Please rest and take care of yourself.

I wish you a speedy and complete recovery. My prayers are with you, your family and everyone who loves you.

We cannot pour from an empty cup. And sometimes, the greatest responsibility a leader can take is to know when to stop, rest and preserve the strength to continue serving”.

See the post below:

@ghnow_ Madina MP Francis-Xavier Sosu reportedly collapsed while addressing students at GIMPA on Thursday, September 24. His condition has not yet been independently confirmed. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – ADAAMAINA
@ghnow_ NPP Women’s Wing members chant, “Jane Naana, Free Salomey! Lordina, Free Salomey!” during their protest at the High Court. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

‘Ghana highly vulnerable to external economic shocks’ – Economist warns Mahama gov’t

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‘Ghana highly vulnerable to external economic shocks’ – Economist warns Mahama gov’t

Economist Professor Peter Quartey has told President John Dramani Mahama and his government that Ghana is still highly vulnerable to external economic shocks.

The economist warned that due to Ghana’s dependence on imported fuel and gold exports, the country is still highly vulnerable to external economic shocks.

According to him, Ghana has limited buffers to cushion the economy from major global disruptions, adding that continued importation of processed fuel leaves the economy exposed to changes in international conditions.

Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express Business Edition, Prof Quartey stated, “Yes, you will notice that, I mean, for these countries that are even fighting, Iran, the U.S., and the rest, they have a buffer. They have oil reserves that they can fall on.”

He stressed that Ghana does not have the same level of protection.

“I mean, we basically have very little buffer to fall on, and therefore, when they sneeze, we catch a cold,” Prof Quartey said.

Professor Peter Quartey identified Ghana’s continued dependence on imported processed fuel as a major concern.

He stated, “And I think we are not processing enough of the oil. We are an oil producer, but we are not processing quite a good chunk of the oil. We continue to import processed fuel, and that is a big problem for us”.

“Secondly, we’re relying too much on fuel, petrol and, you know, crude, for instance, whereas in other countries, other forms of fuel, green energy, green transition is happening rapidly,” he said.

He noted that the slow pace of the transition to other energy sources further increases Ghana’s vulnerability.

“That is not happening so much with us, and I think that makes us very vulnerable to external shocks,” Prof Quartey said.

He further raised concerns about the structure of Ghana’s export earnings, noting that gold currently accounts for about 60% of the country’s export earnings.

“And if you even look at our exports, for instance, at the moment, gold accounts for almost 60% or 61% of our export earnings,” he said.

“That puts you in a very vulnerable situation,” he said.

“Should gold prices tumble, or should anything happen to the international market, we are likely to suffer the consequences.”

Meanwhile, President John Dramani Mahama has said Ghana’s economy is resilient and capable of withstanding external shocks.

According to John Mahama, Ghana’s economy used to stand on broomsticks; but today it is standing on concrete pillars.

Mahama noted that in the past Ghana’s economy was vulnerable to developments in the global economic environment, but argued that today the economy is stabilised despite international challenges.

Speaking during his accountability engagement in Wa at the weekend as part of his #ResettingGhana Tour of the Upper West Region, Mahama stated, “In the past, Ghana’s economy used to stand on broomsticks. As soon as something happens in the world, it comes crashing down. Today Ghana’s economy is standing on concrete pillars, so even when there’s an earthquake, the country is still standing.

“This Iran-Israel-US war, if it had happened some years back, by now the economy would have come crashing down, but happily it’s been well managed,” the President explained.

Mahama, however, noted that while the economy remained stable, external developments had slowed the pace of progress expected by the Government.

According to John Mahama, his government planned to invest GH¢2.5 billion annually in five key sectors of the economy under its proposed “new economy” initiative aimed at creating jobs and opportunities for young people.

President Mahama disclosed that the Minister of Finance would unveil the initiative in the 2027 Budget Statement, with investments targeted at sectors including pharmaceuticals, agriculture and agro-processing, tourism, and power generation.

“These are not going to be government businesses. Government is not going to set up state-owned enterprises with GH₵2.5 billion a year. It is going to go to the private sector to set up the businesses,” President Mahama indicated.

Mahama further urged entrepreneurs and private sector operators to take advantage of the opportunities to expand businesses and create employment for the youth.

@ghnow_ NPP Women’s Wing members chant, “Jane Naana, Free Salomey! Lordina, Free Salomey!” during their protest at the High Court. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ “Salomey was kept in custody for more than 48 hours before being processed to court.” — Hon. Jerry Ahmed. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

‘This is very embarrassing; why is EOCO boss still at post?’ – Political scientist quizzes  

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‘This is very embarrassing; why is EOCO boss still at post?’ – Political scientist quizzes  

Political scientist Amakye Boateng has questioned why the Chief Executive Officer of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), Raymond Archer, is still at post.

According to the Political scientist, EOCO’s attempt to arrest Manhyia South MP Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, who is representing detained nurse Salomey Awiti Baffoe in court, is very embarrassing amid the controversy over the handling of the case.

He criticised the conduct of the security agencies in the case, adding that the situation could have political consequences for the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Speaking on Kumasi-based Angel FM, he stated, “Personally, I am still at a loss that the EOCO boss is still at post,” he said. “As for this one, I will not mince words. This is very embarrassing.”

He further criticised the broader handling of Baffoe’s case, noting the approach by the police and other state institutions risked undermining public confidence in the government.

“The behaviour of the police in handling the lady’s case is sending the NDC to opposition if they don’t know,” he said.

“The gains made, the stabilisation of the cedi, the President’s vision to build an expressway is being dismantled by the police’s action,” he fumed.

“When did Ghana use political power to harass citizens?” he asked.

He said the controversy was particularly troubling at a time when many Ghanaians were already dealing with economic difficulties.

“At a time when people are faced with hardship, the struggles we are facing, and we are being battered with this show of force, then Ghana will not be a place where democracy works,” he said.

“So, whoever is the IGP, this is your work. I am really surprised these things are going on,” he said.

Meanwhile, the High Court in Accra has denied the bail application of Salomey Awity Baffoe, a senior nursing officer based in Techiman linked to the Ghana Jollof case.

Salomey Awity Baffoe is facing a charge of abetment of crime in connection with content attributed to the “Ghana Jollof” social media account.

The High Court declined the application, arguing the ongoing nature of investigations and concerns that evidence could be deleted if Ms Baffoe is granted bail.

Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, the lawyer for the nurse, made this known following a virtual hearing before the court.

“The court said that [1] investigations are ongoing. [2] The investigations are cyber-related; therefore, releasing the woman may result in her deleting all the information that could serve as evidence”, lawyer Baffour Awuah said.

The High Court decision means Ms Baffoe will remain in custody while investigations continue.

@ghnow_ “Salomey was kept in custody for more than 48 hours before being processed to court.” — Hon. Jerry Ahmed. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ They should come and arrest all of us, we are ready – Protestor #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

“If I had known, I wouldn’t have returned to Ghana” – South Africa returnee says after months without promised job

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“If I had known, I wouldn’t have returned to Ghana” – South Africa returnee says after months without promised job

A Ghanaian man who was repatriated from South Africa, identified as Kofi Baah, has said that he regrets returning to Ghana.

According to Kofi Baah, if he had known the government would only provide him with GH₵5,000 in support, he would not have returned to Ghana.

He disclosed that he has been living with his four children and that the amount given to him has not been enough to meet the needs of his family.

Kofi Baah revealed that part of the money was used to rent a place to stay after the returnees arrived in the country.

According to Kofi Baah, before they returned to Ghana, the Foreign Affairs Minister had promised to help them secure jobs.

He disclosed that commitment convinced many of the returnees to leave South Africa; however, after four months of their return, the jobs promised to them, among other things, had not materialised despite submitting their CVs.

Speaking in an interview on Max TV,  Kofi Baah stated, “Since I returned, I have been living with my four kids, with my firstborn completing SHS this year. The second child is also in basic school. If I had known they [govt] were only going to give us 5,000 cedis, I wouldn’t have returned to Ghana”.

“Initially, when we returned to Ghana, the government made arrangements for us, including the money I received. Out of that amount, I rented an apartment. The minister had promised to give us jobs, and that was the main reason why most of us left South Africa,” he disclosed.

“It has been four months since our arrival, and we haven’t heard from the government. They have asked us to send our CV, but there has been no response. Anytime I call to ask about the jobs, the response I get is that they have given our details to companies, but nothing. Even the Ghana Card they promised to make for us hasn’t been done,” he added.

“At least in South Africa, I would have avoided all the attacks and carefully protected myself because most of us were in groups. What we did was that while some of us were indoors, others were stationed outside to monitor the anti-immigrant protest groups, so when they heard of anything or saw them coming, they alerted us to find safety,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, the Minority in Parliament has said the GH¢5,000 reintegration support provided to Ghanaians evacuated from South Africa is inadequate.

According to the minority,  the GH¢5,000 reintegration support is inadequate to help Ghanaians evacuated from South Africa to resettle and rebuild their livelihoods in Ghana.

The Minority noted that evacuees who lost businesses and sources of income will struggle to restart their lives with GH¢5,000.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, September 10, the Deputy Ranking Member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Nana Asafo Adjei Ayeh, stated, “If somebody owned a restaurant, a boutique, a barbershop in South Africa and because of the xenophobic attacks he’s brought back home, you think GH¢5,000 reintegration is reintegration?”

The minority further disclosed that the GH¢20 million support offered by MTN Ghana could have provided additional assistance to the affected Ghanaians if the government had accepted the offer.

Watch the video below:

@ghnow_ The Majority Leader has described as mischievous claims that Ghana has become a “cocaine coast” under President Mahama. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ Hon. Jerry Ahmed has called on the government to address the cocaine-related issues in the country. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

‘I’m ashamed’ – Koku Anyidoho reflects on calling Kufuor ‘Cocaine Coast’ President

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‘I’m ashamed’ – Koku Anyidoho reflects on calling Kufuor ‘Cocaine Coast’ President

Samuel Koku Anyidoho, the former Director of Communications at the Office of the late President John Evans Atta Mills, Samuel Koku Anyidoho has said he is ashamed over the recent cocaine seizure linked to Ghana after he recalled how he and the NDC used drug-related incidents to attack the former President John Agyekum Kufuor.

According to Koku Anyidoho, he tagged John Agyekum Kufuor as ‘cocaine coast’ president, but he is now ashamed.

Koku Anyidoho recounted that between 2006 and 2008, he played a leading role in the NDC’s communication surrounding the MV Benjamin cocaine scandal and the ‘Limping Man’ incident.

He recounted that the NDC at the time mounted pressure on President Kufuor and the New Patriotic Party (NPP), branding them of turning Ghana into a “cocaine coast”.

Speaking in a video shared on TikTok, Koku Anyidoho stated, “To be frank, between 2006 and 2008, when I was the Director of Communications for Candidate Atta Mills’ campaign team, President Kufuor was in office. During that period, there was the MV Benjamin cocaine scandal and the ‘Limping Man’ incident. I was at the forefront of those issues, and we did not take it easy on President Kufuor.

“As part of our political communication strategy, I was the one who came up with the idea that we should tag President Kufuor as having turned Ghana into a cocaine coast and it worked,” he said.

He further reflected on Ghana’s current situation, admitting that he is particularly concerned because the NDC, which previously criticised the NPP over drug-related scandals, is now at the centre of major cocaine shipments that are traced to Ghana.

Koku Anyidoho stated the development is painful for him because of the party’s previous stance on the issue.

He stated, “And so this current cocaine thing, it hurts me on that side of the political divide that the party that fought cocaine sometime ago and now under our dispensation, this kind of thing is happening”.

Koku Anyidoho also questioned whether the individuals arrested or identified in connection with the shipment represent the full extent of the network involved.

He argued that moving such a large quantity of cocaine through a container would require the involvement of several people at different stages.

According to him, authorities must look beyond those who may have been directly apprehended and investigate the wider network.

“Smuggling drugs is not easy. To smuggle almost four tonnes, put it in a container and have it leave the country means there must be a chain involved. It cannot be the work of one person; there is a chain,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Majority Leader and Member of Parliament for Builsa North, James Agalga, has said the sharp increase in recent narcotics arrests and seizures is due to strategic measures introduced by the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) and other security agencies under the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration.

James Agalga disclosed that NACOC recorded a significant rise in enforcement activities in 2025 compared with the previous year.

The Majority leader revealed that NACOC recorded 73 arrests nationwide in 2024, which was its highest annual enforcement figure at the time, adding that the number increased to 217 arrests across 165 cases in 2025.

According to him, the 197% increase reflected stronger enforcement operations and improved inter-agency collaboration.

The majority leader also disclosed that narcotics seizures also increased in 2025, with 1,497.75 kilogrammes of narcotic substances seized at an estimated street value of US$5.24 million.

He further revealed that asset-based enforcement operations resulted in the seizure of GH¢6.93 million and US$440,382 in cash, as well as 19.72 kilogrammes of gold allegedly linked to suspected drug money laundering.

James Agalga added that NACOC had increased its District Commands from fewer than 10 to 77, extending the Commission’s presence to all 16 regions.

The Majority leader stated, “In 2024, the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) recorded 73 arrests nationwide. Then the Commission’s most productive enforcement year on record under this government. NACOC enforcement operations in 2025 produced 217 arrests across 165 cases, an increase of 197 per cent.

So let’s compare the figures: 73 arrests versus 217 arrests across 165 cases. And in percentage terms, we are looking at a 197 per cent increase between the arrests effected in 2024 and the arrests effected in 2025.”

He stated, “The 2025 performance was due to the concrete institutional changes this government has put in place”.

Watch the video below:

@tina_news_gh

LIVE NOW | Samuel Koku Anyidoho, reacts to the alleged cocaine saga, sharing his perspective on the ongoing controversy and the issues surrounding the case.

♬ original sound – Tina News Gh
@ghnow_ The Majority Leader says the Mahama administration has more than doubled the staff strength of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) as part of efforts to strengthen the fight against illicit drugs. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ The Mahama administration has added 25 vehicles to the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) as part of efforts to strengthen its operations and retool the agency in the fight against illicit drug trafficking. The government has also restored NACOC’s involvement in port inspections. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

Madina MP Francis-Xavier Sosu is in stable condition – Parliament

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Madina MP Francis-Xavier Sosu is in stable condition – Parliament

Parliament of Ghana has disclosed that Francis-Xavier Sosu, the Member of Parliament for Madina, is in a stable condition after falling ill while delivering a presentation at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA).

According to Parliament, the MP received immediate assistance at the event before being transferred to a medical facility for further medical attention.

In a statement on social media on September 24, 2026, Parliament stated, “UPDATE ON THE HEALTH OF HON. DR. FRANCIS-XAVIER SOSU, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR MADINA CONSTITUENCY.

Parliament has noted with concern a video circulating on social media showing Hon. Dr Francis-Xavier Sosu, Member of Parliament for Madina Constituency, taking ill while delivering a presentation at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) today.

The Honourable Member received immediate assistance at the event and was transferred to a medical facility, where he is receiving medical attention.

Parliament is pleased to confirm that Hon. Sosu is in stable condition and is under the care of his medical team.

Parliament extends its appreciation to the management and staff of GIMPA, the attending medical personnel, and all who responded promptly. We also thank the public for the prayers and messages of goodwill received.

Parliament respectfully urges the public and the media to:

 1. Desist from sharing the video, out of respect for the Honourable Member and his family;

 2. Refrain from speculation on the cause of the incident or his condition; and

 3. Respect the privacy of the family during this period.

Further updates will be communicated through official channels of Parliament as appropriate”.

The development follows that of Francis-Xavier Sosu, who collapsed while delivering a speech at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) on Thursday, September 24, 2026.

He was speaking about his personal experiences, leadership, and commitment to public service when he suddenly appeared to lose consciousness on stage.

“I respectfully submit that if you want to be a good leader, let service be your hallmark,” he said moments before he paused and appeared to collapse.

Some person at the event speedily rushed to the stage to assist with the two people holding on to the legislator to prevent him from falling. The MP briefly appeared to regain consciousness and seemed poised to continue his speech.

However, he soon began to slump again.

Francis-Xavier Sosu was subsequently carried off the stage as some people could be heard expressing shock over the incident.

Meanwhile, the circumstances surrounding the incident and Francis-Xavier Sosu’s current condition were not immediately clear.                         

See the post below:

@ghnow_ Madina MP Francis-Xavier Sosu reportedly collapsed while addressing students at GIMPA on Thursday, September 24. His condition has not yet been independently confirmed. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – ADAAMAINA

‘She may erase evidence’ – Lawyer explains Court decision to deny bail to nurse in Ghana Jollof case

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‘She may erase evidence’ – Lawyer explains Court decision to deny bail to nurse in Ghana Jollof case

The High Court in Accra has denied the bail application of Salomey Awity Baffoe, a senior nursing officer based in Techiman linked to the Ghana Jollof case.

Salomey Awity Baffoe is facing a charge of abetment of crime in connection with content attributed to the “Ghana Jollof” social media account.

The High Court declined the application, arguing the ongoing nature of investigations and concerns that evidence could be deleted if Ms Baffoe is granted bail.

Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, the lawyer for the nurse, made this known following a virtual hearing before the court.

“The court said that [1] investigations are ongoing. [2] The investigations are cyber-related; therefore, releasing the woman may result in her deleting all the information that could serve as evidence”, lawyer Baffour Awuah said.

The High Court decision means Ms Baffoe will remain in custody while investigations continue.

Meanwhile, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah has denied allegations by the Ghana Police Service that his client received money from the operator of the “Ghana Jollof” TikTok account to support the publication and circulation of online content.

According to Baffour Awuah, his client has never received any money to recruit people or to support the account’s activities.

The denial follows allegations by the Ghana Police Service that Barbara Asantewaa Kodua, whom the Police identify as the operator of the “Ghana Jollof” account, remitted money to Baffoe in Ghana to support the publication and circulation of online content.

The Police claimed that Baffoe consequently distributed portions of the funds to other individuals involved in redistributing videos produced by Kodua across various social media platforms.

The Police further detailed that a forensic examination of Baffoe’s mobile phone, audio and video files, and mobile money transaction records provided evidence of the alleged financial arrangements between the two women.

However, Lawyer for Salomey Awity Baffoe, speaking on Citi FM on September 22, 2026, stated, “My client has never received money to recruit anybody or has never given money to anybody to recruit someone”.

He further questioned the information presented by the Director-General of the Criminal Investigation Department, COP Lydia Donkor, during a press briefing on the case, saying, “The CID Director-General came out and then did a press conference and put out certain information. I want to say that that information is doubtful in nature”.

Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah also said his client did not know anyone identified as “Jollof”.

The lawyer stressed that he would not speculate about the identity of the person behind the account but would focus on the specific allegations against his client.

“So let me say this here, my client has never known anybody called Jollof. You don’t have to know by that name. You can know the person by their real name,” he added.

@ghnow_ Counsel for Salomey has provided an update on what transpired in court today. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ Madina MP Francis-Xavier Sosu reportedly collapsed while addressing students at GIMPA on Thursday, September 24. His condition has not yet been independently confirmed. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – ADAAMAINA

Video – Madina MP collapses while delivering speech at GIMPA

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Video – Madina MP collapses while delivering speech at GIMPA

Francis-Xavier Sosu, the Member of Parliament for Madina, has collapsed while delivering a speech at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) on Thursday, September 24, 2026.

He was speaking about his personal experiences, leadership, and commitment to public service when he suddenly appeared to lose consciousness on stage.

“I respectfully submit that if you want to be a good leader, let service be your hallmark,” he said moments before he paused and appeared to collapse.

Some person at the event speedily rushed to the stage to assist with the two people holding on to the legislator to prevent him from falling. The MP briefly appeared to regain consciousness and seemed poised to continue his speech.

However, he soon began to slump again.

Francis-Xavier Sosu was subsequently carried him off the stage as some people could be heard expressing shock over the incident.

Meanwhile, the circumstances surrounding the incident and Francis-Xavier Sosu’s current condition were not immediately clear.

@ghnow_ Madina MP Francis-Xavier Sosu reportedly collapsed while addressing students at GIMPA on Thursday, September 24. His condition has not yet been independently confirmed. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – ADAAMAINA

US Embassy welcomes new public diplomacy counselor Pamnela DeVolder in Ghana

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US Embassy welcomes new public diplomacy counselor Pamnela DeVolder in Ghana

The United States Embassy in Ghana has hosted a welcome reception to officially introduce and honour its new Public Diplomacy Counselor, Pamnela DeVolder.

The reception, held on September 17, 2026, at the Chief of Mission’s Residence, brought together US Chargé d’Affaires a.i. Rolf Olson, Minister of Sports and Recreation Kofi Adams, members of the media, former footballers, representatives of Ghana’s football fraternity, and officials and staff of the US Embassy.

The gathering provided an opportunity for guests to welcome DeVolder to her new role and to strengthen the relationship between the US Embassy and key stakeholders in Ghana’s media, sports and football communities.

In her address, DeVolder expressed her excitement about taking up the position and engaging with stakeholders in Ghana. She also spoke about the importance of building meaningful connections and deepening people-to-people relations through public diplomacy.

In a lighter moment during the reception, the new Public Diplomacy Counselor joined the long-running and often spirited debate over which country makes the best jollof, bringing a touch of Ghanaian culture and humour to the occasion.

The event underscored the embassy’s continued engagement with Ghanaian society and highlighted the role of public diplomacy in fostering stronger cultural, social and professional ties between Ghana and the United States.

@ghnow_ Members of the NPP Women’s Wing have staged a protest at the High Court following the arrest of Nurse Salomey Bafor Awiti. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ Madina MP Francis-Xavier Sosu reportedly collapsed while addressing students at GIMPA on Thursday, September 24. His condition has not yet been independently confirmed. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – ADAAMAINA

“This is unacceptable in the 21st century” – Mahama demands permanent UN Security Council seat for Africa

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“This is unacceptable in the 21st century” – Mahama demands permanent UN Security Council seat for Africa

President John Dramani Mahama has once again renewed Ghana’s call for permanent African representation on the United Nations Security Council.

Mahama argued that the continent’s continued exclusion undermines the credibility of the global body.

Accordong to John Mahama, Africa is home to 1.5 billion people, with over 18 per cent of humanity adding that it is unacceptable in the 21st century for Africa not to have a permanent seat.

Addressing the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Thursday, September 24, President Mahama said Africa’s growing population and role in global affairs could no longer be ignored in discussions on the reform of the UN’s principal security organ.

He stated, “Africa is home to 1.5 billion people, over 18 per cent of humanity, and constitutes the largest regional voting bloc in this General Assembly,” he said. “Yet, Africa remains without a single permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. This is fundamentally unacceptable in the 21st century.”

Mahama called for Africa to be granted permanent representation with the full rights and responsibilities attached to such membership, including veto powers.

He argued that the current structure of the Security Council reflected geopolitical realities that existed after the Second World War.

Mahama argued that the structure no longer adequately represented the contemporary international system.

“We cannot credibly champion the sovereign equality of nations while preserving a global governance structure designed for the post-war geopolitical realities,” he said.

“Security Council reform is not a favour to Africa; it is an imperative for the legitimacy, credibility, and survival of the United Nations,” he said.

Also, President John Dramani Mahama bluntly told U.S. President Donald Trump that no human civilisation deserves to be annihilated.

Ghana’s President addressing world leaders at the United Nations boldly stated no human civilisation deserves to be annihilated and certainly not a member state of the United Nations.

According to John Mahama, dialogue can resolve even the world’s most difficult conflicts.

Speaking during his address to the 81st UN General Assembly, just two days after Trump used the word “annihilate” while warning Iran, Mahama stated, “The current Middle East crisis is having a deleterious effect on the world economy. We call for a return to the negotiating table. And let me add that no human civilisation deserves to be annihilated, certainly not a member state of the United Nations.

“I believe that dialogue can resolve even the most intractable of problems. Across every conflict, whether in Europe, the Middle East, or Africa, the standard must remain uniform: respect sovereign integrity, protect civilians, ensure unhindered humanitarian access, and hold perpetrators of war crimes accountable,” he said.

He further went on to call for respect for national sovereignty, protection of civilians, unhindered humanitarian access.

President Mahama although did not explicitly identify Trump however, the timing and Mahama’s use of the same word Trump had used two days earlier made the remarks a notable apparent response to the US president idea of destroying an entire civilisation.

Mahama remarks follows US President Donald Trump warning on Tuesday that he could annihilate Iran.

Watch the video below:

@ghnow_ NPP Women’s Wing members chant, “Jane Naana, Free Salomey! Lordina, Free Salomey!” during their protest at the High Court. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ Members of the NPP Women’s Wing have staged a protest at the High Court following the arrest of Nurse Salomey Bafor Awiti. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

‘Speaker Bagbin has changed the whole architecture’ – Osei-Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu on MPs’ arrest

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‘Speaker Bagbin has changed the whole architecture’ – Osei-Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu on MPs’ arrest

Osei-Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the Former Majority Leader in Parliament, has accused Speaker Alban Bagbin of changing the established procedure for dealing with Members of Parliament who are invited or arrested by security agencies.

According to Osei-Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, previous Speakers followed a tradition where security agencies informed the Speaker about MPs who were accused or required for questioning.

Osei-Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, however argued that Speaker Bagbin has now changed the “whole architecture” when he stated that security agencies are only required to notify his office and do not need to obtain his approval before arresting or inviting an MP for questioning.

Speaking in an interview on Okay FM on September 24, 2026, Osei-Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu stated, “…Speaker Bagbin has changed the whole architecture. Now, he says he should just be notified and his approval is not needed”.

It will be recalled, Alban Bagbin, the Speaker of Parliament, has told Members of Parliament that security agencies do not require his permission to arrest or invite them for questioning.

Speaker Bagbin noted that security agencies are only obligated to formally inform his office of such actions.

According to Alban Bagbin, there is a growing misconception that security agencies must first seek approval from the Speaker before acting against lawmakers.

He explained that his office’s role is limited to being notified of any incident involving an MP, and to assess whether parliamentary privilege or immunity applies in each case.

Speaking to Members of Parliament during the Second Meeting of the Second Session of Parliament on Thursday, May 21, Alban Bagbin explained, “It’s not for the security agents to seek my permission before arresting or inviting a member of parliament for questioning. It’s not. It’s for them to inform me and include the circumstances or the allegations that have created the suspicion”.

Osei-Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu comments follow the attempt by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to arrest the Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, at the Accra High Court on September 23, 2026.

Meanwhile, the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) has disclosed that Manhyia South Member of Parliament, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, ignored two invitations issued in February 2026 to assist with an ongoing investigation.

According to EOCO, its invitations were not honoured, prompting the Office to take steps to secure the MP’s attendance in accordance with the law.

EOCO revealed that its officers were acting in the lawful discharge of their responsibilities when they attempted to arrest the MP in connection with the investigation.

In a press statement stated, “The Office had previously invited Hon. Baffour Awuah to assist with the investigation on two occasions in February 2026. The invitations were not honoured”.

EOCO explained that the attempted arrest was one of the lawful steps it had taken to secure his attendance after the earlier invitations were not honoured.

According to EOCO, they have identified two persons who allegedly intervened to facilitate the MP’s departure from the scene and are assessing their conduct for possible further action.

EOCO maintained that being a member of Parliament does not by itself bring an investigation to an end or place an individual beyond the reach of the law.

They further disclosed that the investigation remains active and that it will review the circumstances surrounding the incident, including available video evidence, before determining its next steps.

@ghnow_ Members of the NPP Women’s Wing have staged a protest at the High Court following the arrest of Nurse Salomey Bafor Awiti. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ NPP Women’s Wing members chant, “Jane Naana, Free Salomey! Lordina, Free Salomey!” during their protest at the High Court. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

“No human civilisation deserves to be annihilated” – Mahama bluntly tells Trump

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“No human civilisation deserves to be annihilated” – Mahama bluntly tells Trump

President John Dramani Mahama has bluntly told U.S. President Donald Trump that no human civilisation deserves to be annihilated.

Ghana’s President addressing world leaders at the United Nations boldly stated no human civilisation deserves to be annihilated and certainly not a member state of the United Nations.

According to John Mahama, dialogue can resolve even the world’s most difficult conflicts.

Speaking during his address to the 81st UN General Assembly, just two days after Trump used the word “annihilate” while warning Iran, Mahama stated, “The current Middle East crisis is having a deleterious effect on the world economy. We call for a return to the negotiating table. And let me add that no human civilisation deserves to be annihilated, certainly not a member state of the United Nations.

“I believe that dialogue can resolve even the most intractable of problems. Across every conflict, whether in Europe, the Middle East, or Africa, the standard must remain uniform: respect sovereign integrity, protect civilians, ensure unhindered humanitarian access, and hold perpetrators of war crimes accountable,” he said.

He further went on to call for respect for national sovereignty, protection of civilians, unhindered humanitarian access.

President Mahama although did not explicitly identify Trump however, the timing and Mahama’s use of the same word Trump had used two days earlier made the remarks a notable apparent response to the US president idea of destroying an entire civilisation.

Mahama remarks follows US President Donald Trump warning on Tuesday that he could annihilate Iran.

Reuters in a news article stated, “ US President Donald Trump warned on Tuesday that he could annihilate Iran if there is no deal to end the war, but also suggested an agreement ​could come soon amid a diplomatic push at the United Nations.

“I have a big decision to make,” Trump said in a speech at the UN General Assembly in ‌New York.

“Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before?… Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again?”

In a statement on Tuesday, Iran’s Armed Forces dismissed Trump’s comments at the UN as “propaganda”, saying their response is “full readiness to inflict more severe, crushing, and unpredictable blows on the aggressors.”

But away from the fiery ​rhetoric, discussions continued to try to end the nearly seven-month conflict that began with joint US-Israeli strikes and has since killed thousands, driven up oil prices and drawn in neighboring ​countries.

US envoy Steve Witkoff in a post on X said that the United States and Iran engaged in lengthy talks on Tuesday on the sidelines of ⁠the UN General Assembly through mediators “who shuttled between the two sides throughout the day”.

The mediators will continue their work, Witkoff added, saying that he hoped Tuesday’s discussions would “prove constructive and promising.”

Trump also met the ​leaders of Middle Eastern countries who are keen to restore shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the conduit for a fifth of global oil and gas shipments before the war, but are wary of giving ​their longstanding rival Iran too much power”.

Watch the video below:

@ghnow_ NPP Women’s Wing members chant, “Jane Naana, Free Salomey! Lordina, Free Salomey!” during their protest at the High Court. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ “Free Salomey! Free Salomey!” — NPP Women’s Wing members protest at the High Court following the arrest of Salomey Bafor Awiti. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

‘Don’t take the long route; call Kevin Taylor to stop the insults – Nitiwul tells Mahama

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‘Don’t take the long route; call Kevin Taylor to stop the insults – Nitiwul tells Mahama

Former Defence Minister Dominic Nitiwul has asked why President John Mahama is pursuing a lengthy approach to curbing incendiary comments instead of simply asking US-based Ghanaian commentator Kevin Taylor to stop.

Nitiwul made this known in reaction to President Mahama issuing a directive to the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) and the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) to organise a national stakeholder engagement on hate speech, abusive language and other harmful content on social media and emerging digital platforms.

Speaking on TV3, on September 23, 2026, Dominic Nitiwul argued that apporach is a long route calling on the President Mahama and the government to call Kevin Taylor to stop making insulting comments and see whether others would not stop.

Nitiwul stressed that Ghana Jollof has maintained that she is responding to Kevin Taylor’s comments and would stop if he also stopped the insulting comments.

The former Defence Minister stated, “The two individuals who have led this charge over the last one year let me go back to the first individual, Kevin Taylor, who has led this charge over the last seven years, and then Ghana Jollof has entered into the fray, and others are unfortunately now copying over the last three months. They all say it’s because Kevin Taylor is doing the insulting; that’s why they are doing that. If Kevin Taylor stops it, they will all stop”.

“So instead of the president organising all this long way of doing things, why does he not ask Kevin Taylor to stop? Why can’t the government just ask Kevin Taylor to stop? …and see whether the others will stop, or they will not stop. It’s a simple thing,” he said.

Dominic Nitiwul further added, “Ghana Jollof says, I’m responding because they are not asking Kevin Taylor to stop. Kevin Taylor says that the president gave him the job to do, and so if Kevin Taylor stops today, I will stop. Why can’t Kevin Taylor be controlled? Why can’t he stop?”

He further cited Kevin Taylor’s return to Ghana and the government’s alleged protection of him.

Nitiwul added, “…the government cannot run away from Kevin Taylor because he came here; they gave him state protection; they made sure that he won his case in court, and he’s free doing that. I have been a victim of Kevin Taylor twice. A year ago, he took me on and insulted me head to toe; just about last week, he did the same thing ”.

The Former Defence Minister argued that the issue could be addressed without taking what he considered a longer route.

“All they need to do is a very simple thing. Don’t let us take the long route. Call Kevin Taylor and tell him, do your journalism, don’t insult anybody… You will see everybody else will stop. I don’t know Ghana Jollof, and I don’t think anybody knows Ghana Jollof in NPP or NDC, but says she is responding to Kevin Taylor” he concluded.

Meanwhile, Koku Anyidoho, a former Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has quizzed President John Dramani Mahama on the approach adopted to address abusive language and harmful content on social media.

According to Koku Anyidoho, President John Mahama must stop playing the ostrich and take the bull by the horns, arguing that persons involved in the use of abusive language do not belong to the GJA nor any recognized Institution.

He further called on the government to first answer questions about how these institutions will deal with people who operate outside mainstream media.

In a post on X, Koku Anyidoho wrote, “As a Communications/PR/Media, Consultant/Practitioner/Expert, I ask:

What real role are all these Institutions supposed to play?

What roadmap is the GJA and MFWA supposed to put in place?

The persons involved in the use of abusive language do not belong to the GJA nor any recognized Institution.

What is going on is not taking place within the realms of mainstream media, so what do you want the National Media Commission to do?

The people involved are affiliated to political parties and politicians per the statements they make openly.

How are the above institutions going to regulate the activities of people who are on social media doing the bidding of politicians?

Religious Bodies are being insulted on a daily basis by a particular character doing the bidding of his paymasters, and you expect the Religious Bodies to avail themselves to be insulted more?

Why don’t we stop lying to ourselves:  we know the origin (real source) of this barbaric culture of paying scoundrels to insult political opponents, so let’s stop playing the ostrich and take the bull by the horn.

If we don’t stop the pretence and deal with the Genesis of this disgusting social canker/cancer, we shall never get to the Revelation of the matter, and the Net Losers in this matter know themselves.

“Se kuku kuku nu gyae a; kike kike nu su be gyae”.

Watch the video below:

@ghnow_ Members of the NPP Women’s Wing have staged a protest at the High Court following the arrest of Nurse Salomey Bafor Awiti. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ “Free Salomey! Free Salomey!” — NPP Women’s Wing members protest at the High Court following the arrest of Salomey Bafor Awiti. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

‘I only repeated my party’s position’ – Baffour Awuah runs from cocaine manufacturing claims

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‘I only repeated my party’s position’ – Baffour Awuah runs from cocaine manufacturing claims

Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, the Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, has clarified his earlier comments he made about claims that cocaine is being manufactured in Ghana.

According to the Manhyia South lawmaker, he did not make the claim as his own during an interview with Citi FM.

He disclosed that he only repeated a position earlier presented by the party’s National Organiser, Henry Nana Boakye.

In a statement issued on his Facebook post, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah stated, “My attention has been drawn to several stories online suggesting that in an interview I granted to Citi FM on September 22, 2026, I personally alleged that cocaine is being manufactured in Ghana.

“It is worth noting that in the said interview, I only reiterated the position of my party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP), as delivered by its National Organiser in a press conference held on September 22, 2026”.

“It is also worthy of note that I made it clear that the party’s position, as highlighted in the press conference by the National Organiser, was informed by intelligence the party receives,” he said.

“It is crucial to recognise that the NPP is a formidable party and certainly let no one underestimate the intelligence available to the NPP,” he added.

Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah clarification comes after reports suggested that he had personally alleged that cocaine was being manufactured in Ghana.

According to Nana Agyei Baffour, Ghana is not only a transit point for cocaine smuggling, but there is some level of manufacturing ongoing in the country.

Speaking in an interview on Citi FM on Tuesday, the NPP MP, when asked whether his party’s claim was “theory or a fact”, stated, “Fact based on intelligence.”

“There’s some degree, some level of manufacturing in here… It’s a fact based on intelligence… Don’t underestimate the New Patriotic Party as a major political party. People give us information,” he added.

The NPP legislator added, “It is on this basis that an enquiry is very necessary, because if it is established, like we have been informed by way of our intelligence, that indeed there is a manufacturing hub in this country, then it’s a very serious matter.

“If it is also established that indeed there is an importation, it is also equally a very serious matter,” he said.

When pushed to disclose the location of the hub, Nana Agyei Baffour disclosed that he couldn’t do so publicly.

The MP also refused to state whether the NPP had informed the nation’s security apparatus about its intelligence.

Meanwhile, Majority Leader and Member of Parliament for Builsa North, James Agalga has said the sharp increase in recent narcotics arrests and seizures is due to strategic measures introduced by the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) and other security agencies under the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration.

James Agalga disclosed that NACOC recorded a significant rise in enforcement activities in 2025 compared with the previous year.

The Majority leader revealed that NACOC recorded 73 arrests nationwide in 2024, which was its highest annual enforcement figure at the time adding that the the number increased to 217 arrests across 165 cases in 2025.

According to him, the 197% increase reflected stronger enforcement operations, improved inter-agency collaboration.

The majority leader also disclosed that narcotics seizures also increased in 2025, with 1,497.75 kilogrammes of narcotic substances seized at an estimated street value of US$5.24 million.

He further revealed that asset-based enforcement operations resulted in the seizure of GH¢6.93 million and US$440,382 in cash, as well as 19.72 kilogrammes of gold allegedly linked to suspected drug-money laundering.

James Agalga added that NACOC had increased its District Commands from fewer than 10 to 77, extending the Commission’s presence to all 16 regions.

The Majority leader stated, “In 2024, the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) recorded 73 arrests nationwide. Then the Commission’s most productive enforcement year on record under this government. NACOC enforcement operations in 2025 produced 217 arrests across 165 cases, an increase of 197 percent.

So let’s compare the figures, 73 arrests versus 217 arrests across 165 cases. And in percentage terms, we are looking at a 197 percent increase between the arrests effected in 2024 and the arrests effected in 2025.”

He stated, “The 2025 performance was due to the concrete institutional changes this government has put in place”.

@ghnow_ “Free Salomey! Free Salomey!” — NPP Women’s Wing members protest at the High Court following the arrest of Salomey Bafor Awiti. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ Members of the NPP Women’s Wing have staged a protest at the High Court following the arrest of Nurse Salomey Bafor Awiti. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

BoG to introduce new Cedi banknotes, dubbed the Heritage Series in November

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BoG to introduce new Cedi banknotes, dubbed the Heritage Series in November

The Bank of Ghana (BoG) Governor Dr Johnson Pandit Asiama has announced a new series of Ghana cedi banknotes, dubbed the Heritage Series will be introduced in November.

The BoG governor disclosed that the development form parts of efforts to modernise the currency and strengthen its security and durability.

According to him, the Bank of Ghana is scheduled to officially launch the Heritage Series on November 3, 2026, at the Bank Square in Accra.

Speaking at the end of the 132nd Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting on Thursday, September 24, 2026 Dr Johnson Pandit Asiama, made the announcement.

He disclosed that the new banknotes will feature enhanced security measures, improved durability and modern designs that reflect Ghana’s heritage, culture and national identity.

According to the BoG Governor, the current Ghana cedi banknote designs have been in circulation for more than two decades, making periodic modernisation necessary as technology and security standards evolve.

“The upgraded banknotes incorporate enhanced security features, improved durability, and modern designs that reflect Ghana’s heritage and Ghana’s aspirations,” he said.

He disclosed that the Heritage Series is intended to provide stronger protection against counterfeiting, and to withstand prolonged circulation and support more efficient and cost-effective currency management.

The BoG Governor added that the new series will also provide an opportunity to honour Ghanaian national heroes and showcase elements of the country’s heritage and identity.

Dr Asiama stressed that the introduction of the Heritage Series does not mean the withdrawal of the existing Ghana cedi banknotes.

“There is no need for the public to rush to exchange or to withdraw existing notes solely because of the introduction of the new Heritage Series,” he added.

He further appealed to the public, businesses, traders and financial institutions to handle banknotes properly.

“Proper handling will help preserve the quality of our banknotes. It will reduce replacement costs for the central bank and it will support efficient currency management,” he said.

The developemt follows President John Dramani Mahama who had earlier said Ghana’s currency, the Cedi, is “long overdue for refreshing”.

According to John Mahama, there is a need to periodically upgrade the Cedi security features to stay ahead of counterfeiters.

Mahama detailed that the currencies must be periodically updated to make it more difficult for criminals to reproduce them.

He, however, argued that the decision to redesign or replace the cedi rests with the Bank of Ghana.

Mahama further disclosed that he is aware of plans by the Governor of the Bank of Ghana to refresh the currency, adding that he expects the central bank to announce the details to the public.

President Mahama, speaking during the Resetting Ghana Tour in the Upper East Region, stated, “Every country, every ten years, you are supposed to refresh your currency because if you use the same currency for too long, people learn how to counterfeit it”.

Mahama argued that security features on banknotes must be updated from time to time to keep pace with counterfeiting techniques.

“And so this particular currency is long overdue for refreshing,” he said.

“I know the governor has plans to refresh the currency and I am sure that at the appropriate time, the Bank of Ghana will let Ghanaians know what they are doing about it,” he said.

However, it must be noted that updating the security features on Ghana’s banknotes would not change the value of the cedi or amount to a redenomination.

Mahama highlighted that the value and performance of the currency are ultimately linked to the management of the wider economy.

“What I would say is that the cedi today is stronger than it was in the past because of good economic management,” he said.

He pointed to the government’s economic policies as a key factor supporting the cedi’s recent performance against major international currencies.

“Your currency is as strong as your economic management, and because of the good policies we put in place, the cedi is holding its own against other major currencies,” the President added.

@ghnow_ “Free Salomey! Free Salomey!” — NPP Women’s Wing members protest at the High Court following the arrest of Salomey Bafor Awiti. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ NPP Women’s Wing members chant, “Jane Naana, Free Salomey! Lordina, Free Salomey!” during their protest at the High Court. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

High Court denies nurse in Ghana Jollof case bail

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High Court denies nurse in Ghana Jollof case bail

The High Court in Accra has denied the bail application of Salomey Awity Baffoe, a senior nursing officer based in Techiman.

Salomey Awity Baffoe is facing a charge of abetment of crime in connection with content attributed to the “Ghana Jollof” social media account.

The High Court declined the application, arguing the ongoing nature of investigations and concerns that evidence could be deleted if Ms Baffoe is granted bail.

Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, the lawyer for the nurse made this known, following a virtual hearing before the court.

The High Court decision means Ms Baffoe will remain in custody while investigations continue.

Meanwhile, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, has denied allegations by the Ghana Police Service that his client received money from the operator of the “Ghana Jollof” TikTok account to support the publication and circulation of online content.

According to Baffour Awuah, his client has never received any money to recruit people or to support the account’s activities.

The denial follows allegations by the Ghana Police Service that Barbara Asantewaa Kodua, whom the Police identify as the operator of the “Ghana Jollof” account, remitted money to Baffoe in Ghana to support the publication and circulation of online content.

The Police claimed that Baffoe consequently distributed portions of the funds to other individuals involved in redistributing videos produced by Kodua across various social media platforms.

The Police further detailed that a forensic examination of Baffoe’s mobile phone, audio and video files, and mobile money transaction records provided evidence of the alleged financial arrangements between the two women.

However, Lawyer for Salomey Awity Baffoe, speaking on Citi FM on September 22, 2026, stated, “My client has never received money to recruit anybody or has never given money to anybody to recruit someone”.

He further questioned the information presented by the Director-General of the Criminal Investigation Department, COP Lydia Donkor, during a press briefing on the case, saying, “The CID Director-General came out and then did a press conference and put out certain information. I want to say that that information is doubtful in nature”.

Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah also said his client did not know anyone identified as “Jollof”.

The lawyer stressed that he would not speculate about the identity of the person behind the account but would focus on the specific allegations against his client.

“So let me say this here, my client has never known anybody called Jollof. You don’t have to know by that name. You can know the person by their real name,” he added.

@ghnow_ Members of the NPP Women’s Wing have staged a protest at the High Court following the arrest of Nurse Salomey Bafor Awiti. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ “Free Salomey! Free Salomey!” — NPP Women’s Wing members protest at the High Court following the arrest of Salomey Bafor Awiti. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

1,200 staff to be recruited to boost NACOC drug fight – Majority leader

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1,200 staff to be recruited to boost NACOC drug fight – Majority leader

Majority Leader and Member of Parliament for Builsa North, James Agalga has revealed that President John Dramani Mahama has approved the recruitment of 1,200 additional staff for NACOC to strengthen its capacity to combat drug trafficking.

According to the Minority caucus the recruitment will complement the 495 officers trained by NACOC in 2025 as part of efforts to address staffing gaps and expand their operations.

The Majority Leader stated, “This government has more than doubled NACOC’s staff, training 495 new officers in 2025 alone, the largest number of officers to ever graduate from NACOC. This isn’t just a number. It’s the difference between an agency that can respond and an agency that can be there in communities at borders along the path traffickers go to exploit. This government has taken it a step further”.

“His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama’s government has approved the recruitment of another 1200 staff for NACOC, a bold and consistent move that will go a long way to fill the deficit in the Commission’s staffing,” he said.

The majority comment follows, Nana Boakye who at an NPP press conference on Tuesday, September 22, alleged that drug traffickers had established laboratories in Ghana to process narcotics for export.

According to Nana B, the NPP’s intelligence gathered suggests drug traffickers have established clandestine laboratories in Ghana which are used to process narcotics for export.

Speaking at a press conference organised by the opposition NPP on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, Henry Nana Boakye stated, “These drug lords, they have established basic laboratories here for processing of illicit drugs and narcotics under the watch of President Mahama”.

“And it appears that he doesn’t care.”

“That is the reason why volumes of drugs traced to Ghana keep surfacing in the folds of ships and the luggage of passengers in Sydney, Dunkirk and Johannesburg,” he said.

He further alleged that some government officials were facilitating the movement of narcotics out of the country.

The Majority leader further suggested that the sharp increase in recent narcotics arrests and seizures is due to strategic measures introduced by the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) and other security agencies under the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration.

James Agalga disclosed that NACOC recorded a significant rise in enforcement activities in 2025 compared with the previous year.

The Majority leader revealed that NACOC recorded 73 arrests nationwide in 2024, which was its highest annual enforcement figure at the time adding that the the number increased to 217 arrests across 165 cases in 2025.

According to him, the 197% increase reflected stronger enforcement operations, improved inter-agency collaboration.

The majority leader also disclosed that narcotics seizures also increased in 2025, with 1,497.75 kilogrammes of narcotic substances seized at an estimated street value of US$5.24 million.

He further revealed that asset-based enforcement operations resulted in the seizure of GH¢6.93 million and US$440,382 in cash, as well as 19.72 kilogrammes of gold allegedly linked to suspected drug-money laundering.

James Agalga added that NACOC had increased its District Commands from fewer than 10 to 77, extending the Commission’s presence to all 16 regions.

The Majority leader stated, “In 2024, the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) recorded 73 arrests nationwide. Then the Commission’s most productive enforcement year on record under this government. NACOC enforcement operations in 2025 produced 217 arrests across 165 cases, an increase of 197 percent.

So let’s compare the figures, 73 arrests versus 217 arrests across 165 cases. And in percentage terms, we are looking at a 197 percent increase between the arrests effected in 2024 and the arrests effected in 2025.”

He stated, “The 2025 performance was due to the concrete institutional changes this government has put in place”.

@ghnow_ Majority MP George Kweku Ricketts-Hagan has criticised the previous NPP administration’s approach to combating drug-related cases, saying it relied on outdated technology to tackle modern narcotics challenges. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ The Majority in Parliament has addressed the press on recent narcotics-related cases across the country, highlighting enforcement efforts and the government’s response to the growing concerns over drug trafficking. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – Nkz_Lyrics & Caption – DJ NKAY HUB

‘NPP were fighting 21st century drug lords with 1970s techs’ – Majority

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‘NPP were fighting 21st century drug lords with 1970s techs’ – Majority

Deputy Majority Leader Kweku Ricketts-Hagan has said the former New Patriotic Party (NPP) government were fighting 21st Century drug lords with 1970s techology.

According to Ricketts-Hagan, the former NPP government was fighting drug-related cases with outdate technology.

 Addressing the press on Thursday, September 24, the Majority made this known to Ghanaians.

Also, the Majority Leader and Member of Parliament for Builsa North, James Agalga has said the sharp increase in recent narcotics arrests and seizures is due to strategic measures introduced by the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) and other security agencies under the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration.

James Agalga disclosed that NACOC recorded a significant rise in enforcement activities in 2025 compared with the previous year.

The Majority leader revealed that NACOC recorded 73 arrests nationwide in 2024, which was its highest annual enforcement figure at the time adding that the the number increased to 217 arrests across 165 cases in 2025.

According to him, the 197% increase reflected stronger enforcement operations, improved inter-agency collaboration.

The majority leader also disclosed that narcotics seizures also increased in 2025, with 1,497.75 kilogrammes of narcotic substances seized at an estimated street value of US$5.24 million.

He further revealed that asset-based enforcement operations resulted in the seizure of GH¢6.93 million and US$440,382 in cash, as well as 19.72 kilogrammes of gold allegedly linked to suspected drug-money laundering.

James Agalga added that NACOC had increased its District Commands from fewer than 10 to 77, extending the Commission’s presence to all 16 regions.

The Majority leader stated, “In 2024, the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) recorded 73 arrests nationwide. Then the Commission’s most productive enforcement year on record under this government. NACOC enforcement operations in 2025 produced 217 arrests across 165 cases, an increase of 197 percent.

So let’s compare the figures, 73 arrests versus 217 arrests across 165 cases. And in percentage terms, we are looking at a 197 percent increase between the arrests effected in 2024 and the arrests effected in 2025.”

He stated, “The 2025 performance was due to the concrete institutional changes this government has put in place”.

The Majority in Parliament also revealed that President John Dramani Mahama has approved the recruitment of 1,200 additional staff for NACOC to strengthen its capacity to combat drug trafficking.

The Majority Leader stated, “This government has more than doubled NACOC’s staff, training 495 new officers in 2025 alone, the largest number of officers to ever graduate from NACOC. This isn’t just a number. It’s the difference between an agency that can respond and an agency that can be there in communities at borders along the path traffickers go to exploit. This government has taken it a step further”.

“His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama’s government has approved the recruitment of another 1200 staff for NACOC, a bold and consistent move that will go a long way to fill the deficit in the Commission’s staffing,” he said.

Watch the video below:

@ghnow_ Majority MP George Kweku Ricketts-Hagan has criticised the previous NPP administration’s approach to combating drug-related cases, saying it relied on outdated technology to tackle modern narcotics challenges. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ The Mahama administration has added 25 vehicles to the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) as part of efforts to strengthen its operations and retool the agency in the fight against illicit drug trafficking. The government has also restored NACOC’s involvement in port inspections. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

Asante Akyem North MP bail applications thrown out by Dutch court

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Asante Akyem North MP bail applications thrown out by Dutch court

The Member of Parliament for Asante Akyem North, Ohene Kwame Frimpong bail application has been thrown out by a Dutch court.

The information was made known by the Majority Chief Whip and Member of Parliament (MP) for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor.

The Majority Chief Whip and Member of Parliament (MP) for South Dayi, providing the latest update on the case, disclsoed that the court first dismissed the substantive bail application of the embattled MP.

He further added that an appeal filed by the Asante Akyem North legislator was also rejected by a Dutch court.

Dafeamekpor stated, “He is still in custody. He’s still in the hands of the Dutch government in Amsterdam. We have done two applications, one substantive, one appeal for his bail, but they all got refused”.

He further disclosed that the Parliament of Ghana was preparing for the substantive hearing, where the court would determine whether the Asante Akyem North legislatorshould be extradited to the US to answer to the crimes he is accused of.

According to Dafeamekpor, the extradition hearing is scheduled to start on November 18, 2026.

It will be recalled, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, had earlier disclosed that the member of parliament for Asante Akyem North, Ohene Kwame Frimpong, is under investigation over alleged fraud and money laundering offences.

He further questioned the prolonged detention of Ohene Kwame Frimpong following his arrest.

According to the Majority Chief Whip, they will wait for the Asante Akyem North bail outcome before deciding on their next course of action.

Speaking on JoyNews on May 26, 2026, the South Dayi MP stated, “Now, what I know is that they are saying he’s under investigation. If I remember from what the lawyer told me, for fraud and money laundering, he is under investigation”.

“Do you detain somebody for this long for being under investigation? That is why we are saying that we should allow the bail application to be gone into and then we’ll see how it goes,” he added.

Sources familiar with the arrest of the Member of Parliament for Asante Akyem North, Ohene Kwame Frimpong, have shared details concerning his arrest at the Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam.

Reports suggest that the Asante Akyem North MP was dramatically arrested by Dutch security officials at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam shortly after a KLM flight from Accra landed in the Netherlands.

According to CitiNewsroom, “the lawmaker departed Kotoka International Airport in Accra on Saturday, May 9, aboard KLM Flight 590. The flight reportedly left Ghana through Gate C7 at about 10:10 p.m. and arrived at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam at approximately 4:36 GMT on Sunday”.

The information gathered from sources detailed that the incident happened moments after the aircraft touched down at Gate F3 when passengers were prepared to disembark, the pilot announced that all passengers should remain seated for what was described as a security check.

Sources revealed that a team of Dutch security officials subsequently boarded the aircraft and proceeded directly to the Business Class section where the Asante Akyem North MP was seated with another senior government official travelling on the same flight.

The Dutch security officials reportedly identified the MP, read him his rights, and placed him in handcuffs before escorting him off the aircraft into a waiting security van.

@ghnow_ Majority Leader says the government has secured six convictions in drug-related cases as part of efforts to combat illicit drug trafficking in the country. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ Members of the NPP Women’s Wing have staged a protest at the High Court following the arrest of Nurse Salomey Bafor Awiti. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

Sharp increase in narcotics busts due to NDC’s strategic measures – Majority leader claims

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Sharp increase in narcotics busts due to NDC’s strategic measures – Majority leader claims

Majority Leader and Member of Parliament for Builsa North, James Agalga has said the sharp increase in recent narcotics arrests and seizures is due to strategic measures introduced by the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) and other security agencies under the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration.

James Agalga disclosed that NACOC recorded a significant rise in enforcement activities in 2025 compared with the previous year.

The Majority leader revealed that NACOC recorded 73 arrests nationwide in 2024, which was its highest annual enforcement figure at the time adding that the the number increased to 217 arrests across 165 cases in 2025.

According to him, the 197% increase reflected stronger enforcement operations, improved inter-agency collaboration.

The majority leader also disclosed that narcotics seizures also increased in 2025, with 1,497.75 kilogrammes of narcotic substances seized at an estimated street value of US$5.24 million.

He further revealed that asset-based enforcement operations resulted in the seizure of GH¢6.93 million and US$440,382 in cash, as well as 19.72 kilogrammes of gold allegedly linked to suspected drug-money laundering.

James Agalga added that NACOC had increased its District Commands from fewer than 10 to 77, extending the Commission’s presence to all 16 regions.

The Majority leader stated, “In 2024, the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) recorded 73 arrests nationwide. Then the Commission’s most productive enforcement year on record under this government. NACOC enforcement operations in 2025 produced 217 arrests across 165 cases, an increase of 197 percent.

So let’s compare the figures, 73 arrests versus 217 arrests across 165 cases. And in percentage terms, we are looking at a 197 percent increase between the arrests effected in 2024 and the arrests effected in 2025.”

He stated, “The 2025 performance was due to the concrete institutional changes this government has put in place”.

The Majority in Parliament also revealed that President John Dramani Mahama has approved the recruitment of 1,200 additional staff for NACOC to strengthen its capacity to combat drug trafficking.

The Majority Leader stated, “This government has more than doubled NACOC’s staff, training 495 new officers in 2025 alone, the largest number of officers to ever graduate from NACOC. This isn’t just a number. It’s the difference between an agency that can respond and an agency that can be there in communities at borders along the path traffickers go to exploit. This government has taken it a step further”.

“His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama’s government has approved the recruitment of another 1200 staff for NACOC, a bold and consistent move that will go a long way to fill the deficit in the Commission’s staffing,” he said.

The majority comment follows, Nana Boakye who at an NPP press conference on Tuesday, September 22, alleged that drug traffickers had established laboratories in Ghana to process narcotics for export.

According to Nana B, the NPP’s intelligence gathered suggests drug traffickers have established clandestine laboratories in Ghana which are used to process narcotics for export.

Speaking at a press conference organised by the opposition NPP on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, Henry Nana Boakye stated, “These drug lords, they have established basic laboratories here for processing of illicit drugs and narcotics under the watch of President Mahama”.

“And it appears that he doesn’t care.”

“That is the reason why volumes of drugs traced to Ghana keep surfacing in the folds of ships and the luggage of passengers in Sydney, Dunkirk and Johannesburg,” he said.

He further alleged that some government officials were facilitating the movement of narcotics out of the country.

@ghnow_ Majority MP George Kweku Ricketts-Hagan has criticised the previous NPP administration’s approach to combating drug-related cases, saying it relied on outdated technology to tackle modern narcotics challenges. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ The Mahama administration has added 25 vehicles to the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) as part of efforts to strengthen its operations and retool the agency in the fight against illicit drug trafficking. The government has also restored NACOC’s involvement in port inspections. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

“Stop playing the ostrich and take the bull by the horns” – Koku Anyidoho tells Mahama

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“Stop playing the ostrich and take the bull by the horns” – Koku Anyidoho tells Mahama

Koku Anyidoho, a former Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has quizzed President John Dramani Mahama on the approach adopted to address abusive language and harmful content on social media.

It will be recalled that President Mahama issued a directive to the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) and the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) to organise a national stakeholder engagement on hate speech, abusive language and other harmful content on social media and emerging digital platforms.

According to Koku Anyidoho, President John Mahama must stop playing the ostrich and take the bull by the horns, arguing that persons involved in the use of abusive language do not belong to the GJA nor any recognized Institution.

He further called on the government to first answer questions about how these institutions will deal with people who operate outside mainstream media.

In a post on X, Koku Anyidoho wrote, “As a Communications/PR/Media, Consultant/Practitioner/Expert, I ask:

What real role are all these Institutions supposed to play?

What roadmap is the GJA and MFWA supposed to put in place?

The persons involved in the use of abusive language do not belong to the GJA nor any recognized Institution.

What is going on is not taking place within the realms of mainstream media, so what do you want the National Media Commission to do?

The people involved are affiliated to political parties and politicians per the statements they make openly.

How are the above institutions going to regulate the activities of people who are on social media doing the bidding of politicians?

Religious Bodies are being insulted on a daily basis by a particular character doing the bidding of his paymasters, and you expect the Religious Bodies to avail themselves to be insulted more?

Why don’t we stop lying to ourselves:  we know the origin (real source) of this barbaric culture of paying scoundrels to insult political opponents, so let’s stop playing the ostrich and take the bull by the horn.

If we don’t stop the pretence and deal with the Genesis of this disgusting social canker/cancer, we shall never get to the Revelation of the matter, and the Net Losers in this matter know themselves.

“Se kuku kuku nu gyae a; kike kike nu su be gyae”.

Also, former Defence Minister Dominic Nitiwul has asked why President Mahama is pursuing a lengthy approach to curbing incendiary comments instead of simply asking US-based Ghanaian commentator Kevin Taylor to stop.

Speaking on TV3, on September 23, 2026, Dominic Nitiwul argued that apporach is a long route calling on the President Mahama and the government to call Kevin Taylor to stop making insulting comments and see whether others would not stop.

Nitiwul stressed that Ghana Jollof has maintained that she is responding to Kevin Taylor’s comments and would stop if he also stopped the insulting comments.

The former Defence Minister stated, “The two individuals who have led this charge over the last one year let me go back to the first individual, Kevin Taylor, who has led this charge over the last seven years, and then Ghana Jollof has entered into the fray, and others are unfortunately now copying over the last three months. They all say it’s because Kevin Taylor is doing the insulting; that’s why they are doing that. If Kevin Taylor stops it, they will all stop”.

“So instead of the president organising all this long way of doing things, why does he not ask Kevin Taylor to stop? Why can’t the government just ask Kevin Taylor to stop? …and see whether the others will stop, or they will not stop. It’s a simple thing,” he said.

Dominic Nitiwul further added, “Ghana Jollof says, I’m responding because they are not asking Kevin Taylor to stop. Kevin Taylor says that the president gave him the job to do, and so if Kevin Taylor stops today, I will stop. Why can’t Kevin Taylor be controlled? Why can’t he stop?”

He further cited Kevin Taylor’s return to Ghana and the government’s alleged protection of him.

Nitiwul added, “…the government cannot run away from Kevin Taylor because he came here; they gave him state protection; they made sure that he won his case in court, and he’s free doing that. I have been a victim of Kevin Taylor twice. A year ago, he took me on and insulted me head to toe; just about last week, he did the same thing ”.

The Former Defence Minister argued that the issue could be addressed without taking what he considered a longer route.

“All they need to do is a very simple thing. Don’t let us take the long route. Call Kevin Taylor and tell him, do your journalism, don’t insult anybody… You will see everybody else will stop. I don’t know Ghana Jollof, and I don’t think anybody knows Ghana Jollof in NPP or NDC, but says she is responding to Kevin Taylor” he concluded.

See the post below:

@ghnow_ Majority MP George Kweku Ricketts-Hagan has criticised the previous NPP administration’s approach to combating drug-related cases, saying it relied on outdated technology to tackle modern narcotics challenges. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ The Mahama administration has added 25 vehicles to the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) as part of efforts to strengthen its operations and retool the agency in the fight against illicit drug trafficking. The government has also restored NACOC’s involvement in port inspections. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

“No Ghanaian is under any obligation to assist any investigative body in conducting investigations” – Madina MP

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“No Ghanaian is under any obligation to assist any investigative body in conducting investigations” – Madina MP

Francis-Xavier Sosu (ESQ), the Member of Parliament for Madina, has said no Ghanaian is under any obligation to assist any investigative body in conducting investigations.

According to the Madina MP, there is nothing like an invitation under Ghana’s criminal jurisprudence.

He argued that if an investigative body has evidence to place people under arrest, they should go and place the person under arrest and stop with the invitation.

Francis-Xavier Sosu stressed that EOCO and other security Agencies are abusing the use of invitations, turning them into arrests.

Speaking on Adom FM Dwaso Nsem, Francis-Xavier Sosu (ESQ) stated, “If you look at our criminal jurisprudence, there is nothing like invitation, and so in the first place I do not agree with EOCO for saying they have invited somebody from February and they have not shown up.

What is invitation? No, Ghana is under any obligation to assist any investigative body in conducting investigations. If you feel that someone has come with a complaint and you have evidence to place the person under arrest, go and place the person under arrest.

You cannot come and tell us that you have invited the person, and when I invited you, it has been a long time, but you have refused to come, so I am not coming to arrest you. Nobody does that.

The laws are very clear. We have the substantive criminal justice and the procedural criminal justice, and both must work together”.

His comment follows the attempted arrest of Manhyia South Member of Parliament, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah by officials of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) at the Accra High Court on Wednesday, September 23, 2026.

Meanwhile, the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) has disclosed that Manhyia South Member of Parliament, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, ignored two invitations issued in February 2026 to assist with an ongoing investigation.

According to EOCO, its invitations were not honoured, prompting the Office to take steps to secure the MP’s attendance in accordance with the law.

EOCO revealed that its officers were acting in the lawful discharge of their responsibilities when they attempted to arrest the MP in connection with the investigation.

In a press statement stated, “The Office had previously invited Hon. Baffour Awuah to assist with the investigation on two occasions in February 2026. The invitations were not honoured”.

EOCO explained that the attempted arrest was one of the lawful steps it had taken to secure his attendance after the earlier invitations were not honoured.

According to EOCO, they have identified two persons who allegedly intervened to facilitate the MP’s departure from the scene and are assessing their conduct for possible further action.

EOCO maintained that being a member of Parliament does not by itself bring an investigation to an end or place an individual beyond the reach of the law.

They further disclosed that the investigation remains active and that it will review the circumstances surrounding the incident, including available video evidence, before determining its next steps.

Listen to the audio below:

@ghnow_ The Mahama administration has added 25 vehicles to the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) as part of efforts to strengthen its operations and retool the agency in the fight against illicit drug trafficking. The government has also restored NACOC’s involvement in port inspections. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ Majority MP George Kweku Ricketts-Hagan has criticised the previous NPP administration’s approach to combating drug-related cases, saying it relied on outdated technology to tackle modern narcotics challenges. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

Red Flag: Ghana’s foreign reserves can cover only 1 and a half months of imports

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Red Flag: Ghana’s foreign reserves can cover only 1 and a half months of imports

The latest data from the Bank of Ghana (BoG) show that Ghana’s gross foreign reserves declined from 4.2 months of import cover in August, down 1.5 months.

The BoG data shows Ghana’s foreign reserves can cover only 1 and a half months of imports, raising concerns about the country’s external reserve position.

Data Scientist and Policy Analyst Alfred Appiah says the decline should be viewed within the context of changes in Ghana’s gold trading and foreign exchange strategy.

He noted that part of the decline could be linked to a slowdown in gold exports by the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) as highlighted by the BoG Governor during the opening statement at the latest Monetary Policy Committee meeting.

Alfred Appiah, in a post on X, detailed, “The latest data from the Bank of Ghana show that Ghana’s gross international reserves declined to 4.2 months of import cover in August, down 1.5 months from the peak of 5.7 months in March.

On the surface, that looks alarming. But from the BoG Governor’s opening statement at the MPC meeting, we know that part of the decline is attributable to a slowdown in gold exports by GoldBod.

That, in itself, may not necessarily indicate that things are heading in the wrong direction. The key is understanding that the operating model this year is different from last year.

In 2025, artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) gold was sold at prevailing market prices to generate forex. GoldBod now has greater control over the gold value chain and its trading strategy.

During our X Spaces discussions, the CEO explained how GoldBod planned to use hedging to reduce some of the trading losses. What appears to be happening is that we are no longer selling gold at any price simply to generate forex, as was the case in 2025.

This could explain some of the short-term decline in reserves.

By the end of the year, however, it would be reasonable to expect reserve accumulation to pick up if GoldBod closes its open hedging positions and converts the proceeds into forex”.

In related news, the BoG data also show that Ghana’s gross international reserves have slipped by about US$1.9 billion between June and August 2026.

The BoG data show that gross international reserves declined from US$12.94 billion in June to US$11.07 billion in August, highlighting renewed pressure on the country’s external buffers despite strong export earnings.

Ghana’s foreign exchange reserves have declined by a cumulative US$3.09 billion since the first quarter of 2026, after the country ended 2025 with reserves of US$13.83 billion.

The reserves initially increased to US$14.16 billion by March 2026, but subsequently fell to US$13.95 billion in April and then to US$12.94 billion by June, marking the end of the first half of the year.

By the end of August, the country’s reserves had declined further to US$11.07 billion.

The BoG data means Ghana has effectively lost about 1.5 months of import cover since the beginning of the year, with the reserve buffer falling from 5.7 months of import cover to 4.2 months.

The decline leaves Ghana with a narrower foreign-exchange cushion to meet its external payment obligations.

According to reports, the development is notable because Ghana’s export earnings have remained relatively strong, largely on the back of gold exports.

However, the increase in export receipts has not been enough to prevent a drawdown in the country’s reserves.

Speaking at the opening of the Bank of Ghana’s 132nd Monetary Policy Committee meeting, Governor Dr Johnson Asiama identified a projected current account deficit, declining reserves and a pause in gold exports by the Ghana Gold Board since mid-August as key risks to Ghana’s external position.

Dr Johnson Asiama said these developments require close monitoring, particularly as Ghana approaches the fourth quarter, a period that traditionally sees stronger demand for foreign exchange.

“Rebuilding reserves will be a key priority for the Bank in the coming months,” the BoG Governor stated.

Ghana’s reserve position is therefore becoming an increasingly important consideration for the MPC as it weighs inflation, exchange-rate stability and economic growth.

See the post below:

@ghnow_ EOCO Officials Attempt to Arrest Lawyer Nana Adjei Baffour Awuah at Accra High Court #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ The Mahama administration has added 25 vehicles to the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) as part of efforts to strengthen its operations and retool the agency in the fight against illicit drug trafficking. The government has also restored NACOC’s involvement in port inspections. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

‘There is nothing like an invitation under Ghana’s criminal justice system’ – Madina MP

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‘There is nothing like an invitation under Ghana’s criminal justice system’ – Madina MP

Francis-Xavier Sosu (ESQ), the Member of Parliament for Madina, has said there is nothing like an invitation under Ghana’s criminal justice system.

He argued that no Ghanaian is under any obligation to assist any investigative body in conducting investigations.

Francis-Xavier Sosu stressed that EOCO and other security Agencies are abusing the use of invitations, turning them into arrests.

The Madina MP highlighted that if an investigative body has evidence to place people under arrest, they should go and place the person under arrest and stop with the invitation.

Speaking on Adom FM Dwaso Nsem, Francis-Xavier Sosu (ESQ) stated, “If you look at our criminal jurisprudence, there is nothing like invitation, and so in the first place I do not agree with EOCO for saying they have invited somebody from February and they have not shown up.

What is invitation? No, Ghana is under any obligation to assist any investigative body in conducting investigations. If you feel that someone has come with a complaint and you have evidence to place the person under arrest, go and place the person under arrest.

You cannot come and tell us that you have invited the person, and when I invited you, it has been a long time, but you have refused to come, so I am not coming to arrest you. Nobody does that.

The laws are very clear. We have the substantive criminal justice and the procedural criminal justice, and both must work together”.

His comment follows the attempted arrest of Manhyia South Member of Parliament, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah by officials of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) at the Accra High Court on Wednesday, September 23, 2026.

Meanwhile, the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) has disclosed that Manhyia South Member of Parliament, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, ignored two invitations issued in February 2026 to assist with an ongoing investigation.

According to EOCO, its invitations were not honoured, prompting the Office to take steps to secure the MP’s attendance in accordance with the law.

EOCO revealed that its officers were acting in the lawful discharge of their responsibilities when they attempted to arrest the MP in connection with the investigation.

In a press statement stated, “The Office had previously invited Hon. Baffour Awuah to assist with the investigation on two occasions in February 2026. The invitations were not honoured”.

EOCO explained that the attempted arrest was one of the lawful steps it had taken to secure his attendance after the earlier invitations were not honoured.

According to EOCO, they have identified two persons who allegedly intervened to facilitate the MP’s departure from the scene and are assessing their conduct for possible further action.

EOCO maintained that being a member of Parliament does not by itself bring an investigation to an end or place an individual beyond the reach of the law.

They further disclosed that the investigation remains active and that it will review the circumstances surrounding the incident, including available video evidence, before determining its next steps.

Listen to the audio below:

@ghnow_ EOCO Officials Attempt to Arrest Lawyer Nana Adjei Baffour Awuah at Accra High Court #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

Asante Akyem North MP ‘rise and chronology of scams’ interesting – Bright Simons details

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Asante Akyem North MP ‘rise and chronology of scams’ interesting – Bright Simons details

Bright Simons, Vice President of IMANI Africa, has reacted to the reported indictment of embattled Asante Akyem North Member of Parliament, Ohene Kwame Frimpong.

According to Bright Simons, what particularly interests him is the pace of the MP’s rise and how closely it appears to correspond with the chronology of the alleged scams outlined in the indictment.

Bright Simons acknowledged that the Asante Akyem North MP remains innocent until proven guilty, but he expressed concern about what he described as Ghana’s growing exposure to fraudulent activities.

He warned that “the whole country is on the verge of becoming a scam-factory.”

Bright Simons also highlighted some of the key events surrounding the MP’s arrest in Amsterdam and the chronology of events that followed.

In a social media post on September 23, 2026, the IMANI Africa Vice President detailed the sequence of events, stating, “I shouldn’t normally write such a piece on a matter that has yet to travel its full way in court.

Yes, the MP for Asante Akyem North is innocent until proven guilty.

At the same time, his story is a total indictment of the Ghana that elites have built!

The whole country is on the verge of becoming a scam factory.

Let’s walk through some of the highlights.

The MP was grabbed off a KLM flight on 10th May by Dutch Police on an American warrant.

Within a week, Parliament had found him a lawyer. The Majority Chief Whip nevertheless complained about a lack of transparency on the part of the Dutch authorities.

Which suggests that local intelligence and law enforcement had zero awareness. ZERO.

Now we have the filla. Court records reported this week describe an 18-count indictment in the United States: 15 counts of money laundering and bank fraud, 3 of wire fraud, 6 alleged victims, and single transfers as large as $550,000, many during the pandemic.

The amounts in question run to millions of dollars.

Like I said, a court is yet to pronounce.

What interests me, however, is the pace of this MP’s rise and how it aligns so closely with the chronology of scams in the indictment.

 In January 2020, he opened Salt 95.9 FM in Agogo, with two of Ghana’s best-known broadcasters at the launch.

That is the same year that he is alleged to have defrauded a victim of $515,000 using the bank account of his parents’ broke restaurant in Chicago.

A month later, he handed the National Chief Imam $4,000 and GH¢10,000, explaining that he had “succeeded after travelling outside”.

By 2021, profiles said he gave cash to more than 2,000 widows a year.

Then came the awards, half a dozen in about a year.

A whole bevvy of news sites and bloggers published with gusto about how he had assembled a business empire within the few years since he returned from the US: Wealthbridge Limited, Smart Group, Real Estate, etc., etc.

The one I find most fascinating is the BOFROT.

Yes, some red-faced hype-guru actually said the MP’s meteoric rise came from inventing a special mix for bofrot/puff-puff and then watching his business blow up. Bofrot. Specifically his “kub” brand of the round snack.

Clearly, most of us are dunces. But surely if there are such fortunes hiding in bofrot, Maa Yaa at Fanti New Town wouldn’t have waited all this while for this burger to come and scoop it all up?

In January 2024, the paramount chief of Agogo commissioned a 3,000-capacity mosque the MP had built, and he used the occasion to announce his run for Parliament.

He later said he had “singlehandedly” funded Medikal’s sold-out night at the O2 Indigo in London in May 2024.

Every single one of those spending acts lines up with the exact years the indictment mentions as when the big romance scam transfers were made into various accounts he controlled.

In February 2024, the NPP held its primary in Asante Akyem North, a stronghold once dominated by a finance minister. The incumbent won, amid widespread allegations of vote-buying by various contestants.

The indicted MP ignored that market. He went straight to the 38,000 people who would vote in December, with a mosque, a clinic, cash for widows and a radio station staffed by his hype-men.

It was a landslide! 70.3% as an independent.

In parliament, he went straight for the ruling party benches. How else to get close to power?

CDD says the cost of winning a parliamentary nomination escalated from GH¢390,000 in the 2016 cycle to ~GH¢4 million by 2020.

It found nine political financiers engaged in serious organised crime, seven of them in galamsey.

IMANI has crazier intel it is still validating.

Open buying season for political power fueled by galamsey.

And now, it looks like cocaine is refusing to accept that galamsey alone can take the glory.

In early September, French customs at Dunkirk opened a container of plastic waste shipped from Ghana and found 3.9 tonnes of cocaine, worth €225 million.

Ghana’s Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) links it to the network of Jos “Bolle Jos” Leijdekkers, a Dutch fugitive convicted in absentia in the Netherlands and Belgium and believed to be sheltering in Sierra Leone.

Bolle Jos is said to employ Ghanaian bodyguards.

Four people are before the High Court in Accra, among them a 34-year-old East Legon spa owner whom the local press calls a “big girl”, and her fiancé, known as “Accra Chief” and suspected of being the network’s Ghana point man.

She says she did not know the nature of his business. They too are presumed innocent.

Dunkirk was not an outlier. In March 2025, intelligence officers pulled 3.3 tonnes of cocaine from beneath the sand in a tipper truck at Pedu Junction in Cape Coast; eighteen months on, the driver and his mate have been charged and the “prime suspects” remain free.

In April, Australian border officers found 320 kilograms of methamphetamine in charcoal shipped from Ghana. The opposition says a ship called MV Sankofa left Ghana after paying a fraction of its fine and was later caught with narcotics in Senegal.

A mess wearing a top hat!

The MP’s fraud case is hardly an isolated case.

In August 2025 Ghana extradited three alleged leaders, two of them styled “chairmen”, of a ring that US prosecutors say stole more than $100 million through romance scams and email fraud; one was sentenced in July to 85 months.

One of the fraudsters in the long chain to that moment was or probably still is the most-followed Ghanaian on Instagram.

In Interpol’s 2025 romance-scam sweep across fourteen African countries, Nigeria included, Ghana supplied 68 of the 260 arrests: more than a quarter.

The Global Organised Crime Index now calls Ghana “a known hub” for romance fraud and scores the role of state-embedded actors in crime at 7.5 out of 10.

Friends, we are dealing with an epidemic!

With a consistent pattern.

But katanomics means that there is no real national learning, so expect the pattern to replicate and eventually overwhelm.

Expect Big Money to keep showing up without any serious sign of genuine business acumen.

Often through a diaspora triangle of Accra, London and an American city.

Packaged into overnight philanthropy.

Expect every gate in the country leading to prestige and power to be opened up immediately money drops on the table.

Expect the Scam-Lords to continue playing on the stagnant Ghanaian sense of respectability and buy their way to palaces, mosques, churches, and dens of socialites.

With an occasional radio station to boot.

Expect these “glamorous entanglements” with power and prestige to buy immunity.

Of fourteen major scam/fraud/drug cases I examined for this piece, ten were set in motion by foreign agencies.

Ghanaian institutions predictably arrive on the scene later. To confirm, to remand, and set up committees.

The country has outsourced risk management to the American FBI.

Even as I write, another overnight sensation is probably cooking up the same pattern for overnight success.

He or she is probably dishing out charity to widows somewhere in the country.

Soon, there will be clerical blessings, then chiefly patronage, and, finally, floodgates thrown wide open. The “Dr.” title follows and media coronation paves the way into parliament.

As the same Ghanaian elites mouth off pious platitudes about “national development” and what have you.

Howzat?”, his post concluded.  

See the post below:

@ghnow_ Watch as EOCO officials reportedly attempt to arrest lawyer Nana Adjei Baffour Awuah, counsel for Nurse Salomey Bafor Awiti, at the Accra High Court. #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ EOCO Officials Attempt to Arrest Lawyer Nana Adjei Baffour Awuah at Accra High Court #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

‘Why fund a road that can be tolled?’ – Alan Kyerematen on $4bn Accra-Kumasi Expressway

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‘Why fund a road that can be tolled?’ – Alan Kyerematen on $4bn Accra-Kumasi Expressway

Alan Kyerematen, the Leader of the United Party, has argued against government funding for the $4 billion Accra-Kumasi Expressway.

According to Alan Kyerematen, the project could have been handed to the private sector and tolled, reducing the burden on public finances.

Alan accepted the Mahama government’s decision to pursue the long-awaited expressway but argued that the financing model could place an unnecessary burden on the state.

He argued that the commercial potential of the expressway makes it suitable for private-sector financing, adding that investors could recover their investment through toll revenues generated from road users over an agreed period.

Speaking at a public lecture at the British Council in Accra on Wednesday, September 23, Alan Kyerematen stated, “We should commend the NDC government for thinking about the Accra-Kumasi Expressway. But I think the government should not fund the $4 billion expressway. Why should you fund a road that can be tolled? It should have been given to the private sector. $4 billion could have done a lot for Ghana.”

The United Party founder and leader argued that the government could have preserved the funds earmarked for the project and redirected them towards other areas requiring significant public investment.

Meanwhile, President John Dramani Mahama has announced that $2 billion has been set aside to finance the construction of the Accra-Kumasi Expressway.

Mahama assured Ghanaians that funding will not be a challenge once work begins.

According to John Mahama, the money, which is taxpayers’ funds, has been placed in a special account at the Bank of Ghana to ensure prompt payment to the contractor throughout the project.

President Mahama also disclosed that all certificates presented by the contractor will be paid promptly to prevent construction delays.

Mahama also directed the Minister for Roads and Highways to incorporate the Ghana Armed Forces Engineers Regiment as a major subcontractor to the main contractor for the expressway.

Speaking at the handover ceremony of a 175.6-kilometre right-of-way cleared by the Ghana Armed Forces on Monday, September 14, “And let me also announce that this is our own money. We have not gone to borrow money from anywhere. This money is the taxpayers’ money”.

Also, Mahama disclosed that the proposed Accra-Kumasi Expressway will significantly reduce travel time between the two cities.

He revealed that the Accra-Kumasi Expressway to cut travel time to 2 hours when the project is completed.

Mahama stated, “When completed, as you were told, the recommended speed on the Expressway will be 120km per hour. You can drive at 120km per hour”.

“Even if he is travelling at 100km an hour, it means that the journey will take him two hours, instead of the five to six hours that we currently use on the old Accra-Kumasi highway,” President Mahama said.

Mahama emphasised that the reduced travel time would make it possible for people to commute between the two cities for business and return home the same day.

“And so Nana, when this Expressway is finished, you can leave Kumasi at 6 am, and you’ll be in Accra by 8 am,” he stated.

@ghnow_ Watch as EOCO officials reportedly attempt to arrest lawyer Nana Adjei Baffour Awuah, counsel for Nurse Salomey Bafor Awiti, at the Accra High Court. #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ EOCO Officials Attempt to Arrest Lawyer Nana Adjei Baffour Awuah at Accra High Court #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

Ghana loses $1.9bn in reserves between June and August 2026 – BoG

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Ghana loses $1.9bn in reserves between June and August 2026 – BoG

The latest Bank of Ghana (BoG) data show that Ghana’s gross international reserves have slipped by about US$1.9 billion between June and August 2026.

The BoG data show that gross international reserves declined from US$12.94 billion in June to US$11.07 billion in August, highlighting renewed pressure on the country’s external buffers despite strong export earnings.

Ghana’s foreign exchange reserves have declined by a cumulative US$3.09 billion since the first quarter of 2026, after the country ended 2025 with reserves of US$13.83 billion.

The reserves initially increased to US$14.16 billion by March 2026, but subsequently fell to US$13.95 billion in April and then to US$12.94 billion by June, marking the end of the first half of the year.

By the end of August, the country’s reserves had declined further to US$11.07 billion.

The BoG data means Ghana has effectively lost about 1.5 months of import cover since the beginning of the year, with the reserve buffer falling from 5.7 months of import cover to 4.2 months.

The decline leaves Ghana with a narrower foreign-exchange cushion to meet its external payment obligations.

According to reports, the development is notable because Ghana’s export earnings have remained relatively strong, largely on the back of gold exports.

However, the increase in export receipts has not been enough to prevent a drawdown in the country’s reserves.

Speaking at the opening of the Bank of Ghana’s 132nd Monetary Policy Committee meeting, Governor Dr Johnson Asiama identified a projected current account deficit, declining reserves and a pause in gold exports by the Ghana Gold Board since mid-August as key risks to Ghana’s external position.

Dr Johnson Asiama said these developments require close monitoring, particularly as Ghana approaches the fourth quarter, a period that traditionally sees stronger demand for foreign exchange.

“Rebuilding reserves will be a key priority for the Bank in the coming months,” the BoG Governor stated.

Ghana’s reserve position is therefore becoming an increasingly important consideration for the MPC as it weighs inflation, exchange-rate stability and economic growth.

Meanwhile, a prolonged decline in reserves could constrain the Bank of Ghana’s ability to respond to foreign-exchange market pressures, particularly if demand for US dollars increases in the coming months.

Also, reports suggest the pause in gold exports by GoldBod introduces further uncertainty, given the significant role of gold in Ghana’s export earnings and foreign-exchange accumulation.

Meanwhile, President John Dramani Mahama has said Ghana’s economy is resilient and capable of withstanding external shocks.

According to John Mahama, Ghana’s economy used to stand on broomsticks; but today it is standing on concrete pillars.

Mahama noted that in the past Ghana’s economy was vulnerable to developments in the global economic environment, but argued that today the economy is stabilised despite international challenges.

Speaking during his accountability engagement in Wa at the weekend as part of his #ResettingGhana Tour of the Upper West Region, Mahama stated, “In the past, Ghana’s economy used to stand on broomsticks. As soon as something happens in the world, it comes crashing down. Today Ghana’s economy is standing on concrete pillars, so even when there’s an earthquake, the country is still standing.

“This Iran-Israel-US war, if it had happened some years back, by now the economy would have come crashing down, but happily it’s been well managed,” the President explained.

Mahama, however, noted that while the economy remained stable, external developments had slowed the pace of progress expected by the Government.

According to John Mahama, his government planned to invest GH¢2.5 billion annually in five key sectors of the economy under its proposed “new economy” initiative aimed at creating jobs and opportunities for young people.

President Mahama disclosed that the Minister of Finance would unveil the initiative in the 2027 Budget Statement, with investments targeted at sectors including pharmaceuticals, agriculture and agro-processing, tourism, and power generation.

“These are not going to be government businesses. Government is not going to set up state-owned enterprises with GH₵2.5 billion a year. It is going to go to the private sector to set up the businesses,” President Mahama indicated.

Mahama further urged entrepreneurs and private sector operators to take advantage of the opportunities to expand businesses and create employment for the youth.

@ghnow_ Breaking News: Three suspects have been apprehended. #GHNow #missingperson #fyp ♬ original sound – ADAAMAINA
@ghnow_ EOCO Officials Attempt to Arrest Lawyer Nana Adjei Baffour Awuah at Accra High Court #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

From Paddle and Sail to Smart Ships: Why Ghana must turn maritime policy into practice

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From Paddle and Sail to Smart Ships: Why Ghana must turn maritime policy into practice

What the maritime industry means to the world and why Ghana must turn policy into practice

On World Maritime Day, the voyage from ancient paddles to low-carbon shipping offers a simple lesson: maritime progress depends on technology, but it succeeds only when sound rules become effective national practice.

Long before the modern engine room, human beings moved across water by muscle and wind. Early craft relied on paddles and oars. Sail then gave mariners the power to cross longer distances, establish trading routes and connect societies that had previously been separated by oceans. Yet sailing ships remained dependent on weather. Their speed and arrival times could not be guaranteed, and that uncertainty limited trade.

The steam engine changed that relationship with the sea. During the 19th century, paddle wheels and later the screw propeller enabled ships to move more reliably without waiting for favourable winds. Iron and steel hulls grew larger and stronger. By the end of that century, the steam turbine offered greater power and smoother operation. In the early twentieth century, marine diesel engines began another transition. Their fuel economy and operating efficiency eventually made diesel the dominant source of propulsion for most merchant ships.

Today, propulsion is entering a new period of change. Conventional engines still move most world trade, but the industry is testing and adopting cleaner fuels, battery systems, fuel cells, wind-assisted propulsion and more efficient voyage planning. The question has evolved from how to move a ship across the sea to how to do so safely, affordably and with far lower greenhouse gas emissions.

The industry hidden in everyday life

For many people, the maritime industry begins and ends with the image of a large ship on the horizon. In reality, it is an extensive system of ships, ports, people, laws, finance, engineering and logistics. UN Trade and Development estimates that more than 80 per cent of international trade in goods by volume is carried by sea. The maritime industry therefore sits quietly behind the food we eat, the fuel we use, the medicines in our hospitals, the vehicles on our roads and the phones in our hands.

Shipping is only one part of the wider maritime economy. The sector includes ship operations and port management, shipbuilding and marine engineering, fisheries and aquaculture, offshore energy and minerals, maritime tourism, ocean research, education and training. Within merchant shipping, different vessels serve different needs. Bulk carriers move unpackaged commodities such as grain, bauxite, manganese, coal and cement. Tankers carry crude oil, petroleum products, chemicals and liquefied gases. Specialised ships transport vehicles, refrigerated cargo, livestock or heavy equipment. Passenger ships and ferries carry people, while offshore vessels support energy operations at sea.

Liner shipping is the closest maritime equivalent to a scheduled public service. Container ships call at advertised ports on established routes and timetables. Tramp ships, by contrast, go where cargo and commercial opportunity are available. Both models matter, but liner shipping made global supply chains visible and predictable.

The box that changed world trade

The container revolution explains much of the modern maritime world. Before containerisation, general cargo could spend days or weeks in port while stevedores loaded separate bags, barrels, crates and machines. The work was slow, labour-intensive and vulnerable to damage and pilferage. From the 1950s, Malcolm McLean advanced the use of standard metal boxes that could move between truck, train and ship. In 1966, Sea-Land began a deep-sea container service using dedicated ships, cell guides and shore gantry cranes.

A standard container allowed cargo to remain sealed while moving through several modes of transport. Port stays fell dramatically, cargo-handling productivity rose and the whole transport chain became easier to plan. It also demanded huge investment in stronger quays, deeper berths, cranes, storage yards, information systems and larger ships. Containerisation did not merely change the ship. It changed ports, cities, trade routes, employment and the organisation of shipping companies.

Consider an ordinary football on a shop shelf. It is packed at a factory, placed in a container, moved by road or rail to a terminal, stacked in the yard, loaded onto a ship, carried across the ocean, discharged at another port and delivered through a distribution centre to the retailer. Customs officers, freight forwarders, terminal operators, seafarers, pilots, tug crews, surveyors, insurers and regulators all contribute. What looks like a simple consumer purchase rests on a complex maritime chain.

Ships have nationality and rules

A ship is not an anonymous object roaming an unregulated ocean. It must be registered in a State, fly that State’s flag and comply with national and international requirements. The flag State exercises legal and technical responsibility over the vessel. Classification societies establish and verify technical standards for hulls, machinery and equipment, while port States inspect visiting foreign ships and may detain those that present serious deficiencies.

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea provides the wider legal order for the oceans. It defines maritime zones and balances the rights and duties of coastal States, flag States and the international community. The International Maritime Organization develops the global rules that make shipping safer, more secure and environmentally responsible. These include the SOLAS Convention on safety of life at sea, MARPOL on pollution prevention, the STCW Convention on the training and certification of seafarers, and the ISPS Code on ship and port security.

These instruments can appear remote from daily life, but their purpose is practical. Watertight subdivision helps a damaged ship remain afloat. Navigation and distress systems help rescuers find people in danger. Crew certification ensures that trained professionals operate complex vessels. Pollution rules protect coastal communities and marine ecosystems. Security measures reduce the vulnerability of ships and ports to unlawful acts.

World Maritime Day and the implementation test

World Maritime Day 2026 will be observed on 24 September under the theme ‘From Policy to Practice Powering Maritime Excellence’. The theme speaks directly to the central challenge of maritime governance. International rules achieve little if they remain in convention texts, meeting reports or policy statements. Governments must incorporate them into national law. Administrations must train personnel, conduct surveys and inspections, investigate casualties, share information and enforce standards consistently. Companies must maintain ships and protect workers. Ports must turn requirements into safe and efficient procedures. Seafarers and shore-based professionals must apply them every day.

The theme also reminds us that excellence cannot be measured only by the number of conventions a country has ratified. The real measure is whether a ship is seaworthy, whether a seafarer returns home safely, whether cargo passes through a port efficiently, whether pollution is prevented and whether institutions can respond when something goes wrong.

What this means for Ghana

Ghana’s prosperity is inseparable from the sea. The ports of Tema and Takoradi connect our producers and consumers to global markets and support trade with neighbouring landlocked countries. Tema is Ghana’s largest port and principal container gateway. Takoradi remains central to mineral, agricultural and energy-related exports. Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority data show that Takoradi handled 77.4 per cent of Ghana’s seaborne exports in 2024. These are not simply port statistics. They reflect jobs, public revenue, industrial inputs and the competitiveness of Ghanaian businesses.

Ghana must therefore view maritime capability as national economic infrastructure. Port expansion must be matched by efficient clearance, reliable road and rail links, modern digital systems, transparent charges and skilled personnel. Work already under way at Tema to improve port-call optimisation can reduce waiting time, fuel consumption and emissions. That practical collaboration among the Ghana Maritime Authority, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, terminal operators, Customs, Immigration, Port Health and shipping lines captures the meaning of policy moving into practice.

Safety and security require the same seriousness. Ghana operates in the Gulf of Guinea, where piracy, armed robbery, illegal fishing, drug trafficking and other organised maritime crimes can undermine trade and coastal livelihoods. Effective implementation demands coordination among the maritime administration, Navy, Marine Police, ports, fisheries authorities, intelligence services and prosecutors, supported by regional cooperation. Ships and ports must also strengthen cyber resilience as navigation, cargo documentation and terminal operations become increasingly digital.

The transition to cleaner shipping presents both risk and opportunity. New international measures may increase costs for developing countries that depend heavily on imported goods and have limited access to zero- and near-zero-emission fuels. Currently at the IMO, Ghana supports the global ambition while insisting on an equitable transition, predictable finance, technology transfer and capacity-building. At home, we must prepare ports for future fuels, improve energy efficiency, develop credible national emissions data and ensure that Ghanaian institutions and businesses are not left behind.

People remain the industry’s most important asset. Ghana should expand high-quality maritime education, sea-time opportunities and employment pathways for its seafarers. The Regional Maritime University can serve as a stronger regional centre for training in green shipping, digital navigation, port technology, maritime law and safety. More women must enter technical, operational and leadership roles. Young people should see the maritime sector not as a distant world of ships, but as a field offering careers in engineering, logistics, law, economics, information technology, environmental science and security.

A national maritime culture

World Maritime Day should leave Ghana with more than a ceremony. It should deepen public understanding of how the sea supports national life and renew our commitment to competent institutions. A maritime nation must know its waters, protect its coastline, enforce its laws, support its seafarers and make its ports competitive. It must also participate actively where international rules are negotiated, because decisions taken at the IMO eventually affect freight costs, port investment, ship operations and Ghanaian households.

The story of propulsion is a story of human progress: from the paddle, to sail, to steam, diesel and the search for cleaner power. Yet machinery alone has never been enough. Every advance depends on people, infrastructure and rules that work in practice. That is the deeper meaning of this year’s theme. For Ghana, maritime excellence will be powered when international commitments become national law, institutional capacity and measurable results at sea and ashore.

Selected sources

• International Maritime Organization, World Maritime Day theme 2026-2027, From Policy to Practice Powering Maritime Excellence.

• UN Trade and Development, Review of Maritime Transport 2025.

• Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Port of Tema and Port of Takoradi information and statistics.

• IMO GreenVoyage2050, Port of Tema port-call optimisation initiative, 2026.

• National Museum of American History and IMO, materials on the development and future of marine propulsion.

• Author’s teaching materials on ships, registration and classification, containerisation, liner shipping and the law of the sea.

By Dr. Evans Ago Tetteh
Alternate Permanent Representative of Ghana to the International Maritime Organization

@ghnow_ EOCO Officials Attempt to Arrest Lawyer Nana Adjei Baffour Awuah at Accra High Court #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ Breaking News: Three suspects have been apprehended. #GHNow #missingperson #fyp ♬ original sound – ADAAMAINA

‘The whole country is on the verge of becoming a scam-factory’ – Bright Simons sounds alarm

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‘The whole country is on the verge of becoming a scam-factory’ – Bright Simons sounds alarm

Vice President of IMANI Africa, Bright Simons, has warned that Ghana is on the verge of becoming a “scam-factory” amid growing concerns over fraudulent activities in the country.

Mr Simons cited recent cocaine busts as part of the developments raising concerns about Ghana’s growing exposure to illicit activities.

He further cautioned that “the whole country is on the verge of becoming a scam-factory.”

His comments also touched on the reported indictment of the embattled Asante Akyem North Member of Parliament, Ohene Kwame Frimpong.

According to Mr Simons, what particularly interests him is the pace of the MP’s rise and how closely it appears to align with the chronology of the alleged scams outlined in the indictment.

Mr Simons, however, acknowledged that the Asante Akyem North MP remains innocent until proven guilty.

He also highlighted key events surrounding the MP’s arrest in Amsterdam and the sequence of developments that followed, drawing attention to the timeline of events contained in the allegations.

In a social media post on September 23, 2026, the IMANI Africa Vice President detailed, “I shouldn’t normally write such a piece on a matter that has yet to travel its full way in court.

Yes, the MP for Asante Akyem North is innocent until proven guilty.

At the same time, his story is a total indictment of the Ghana that elites have built!

The whole country is on the verge of becoming a scam factory.

Let’s walk through some of the highlights.

The MP was grabbed off a KLM flight on 10th May by Dutch Police on an American warrant.

Within a week, Parliament had found him a lawyer. The Majority Chief Whip nevertheless complained about a lack of transparency on the part of the Dutch authorities.

Which suggests that local intelligence and law enforcement had zero awareness. ZERO.

Now we have the filla. Court records reported this week describe an 18-count indictment in the United States: 15 counts of money laundering and bank fraud, 3 of wire fraud, 6 alleged victims, and single transfers as large as $550,000, many during the pandemic.

The amounts in question run to millions of dollars.

Like I said, a court is yet to pronounce.

What interests me, however, is the pace of this MP’s rise and how it aligns so closely with the chronology of scams in the indictment.

 In January 2020, he opened Salt 95.9 FM in Agogo, with two of Ghana’s best-known broadcasters at the launch.

That is the same year that he is alleged to have defrauded a victim of $515,000 using the bank account of his parents’ broke restaurant in Chicago.

A month later, he handed the National Chief Imam $4,000 and GH¢10,000, explaining that he had “succeeded after travelling outside”.

By 2021, profiles said he gave cash to more than 2,000 widows a year.

Then came the awards, half a dozen in about a year.

A whole bevvy of news sites and bloggers published with gusto about how he had assembled a business empire within the few years since he returned from the US: Wealthbridge Limited, Smart Group, Real Estate, etc., etc.

The one I find most fascinating is the BOFROT.

Yes, some red-faced hype-guru actually said the MP’s meteoric rise came from inventing a special mix for bofrot/puff-puff and then watching his business blow up. Bofrot. Specifically his “kub” brand of the round snack.

Clearly, most of us are dunces. But surely if there are such fortunes hiding in bofrot, Maa Yaa at Fanti New Town wouldn’t have waited all this while for this burger to come and scoop it all up?

In January 2024, the paramount chief of Agogo commissioned a 3,000-capacity mosque the MP had built, and he used the occasion to announce his run for Parliament.

He later said he had “singlehandedly” funded Medikal’s sold-out night at the O2 Indigo in London in May 2024.

Every single one of those spending acts lines up with the exact years the indictment mentions as when the big romance scam transfers were made into various accounts he controlled.

In February 2024, the NPP held its primary in Asante Akyem North, a stronghold once dominated by a finance minister. The incumbent won, amid widespread allegations of vote-buying by various contestants.

The indicted MP ignored that market. He went straight to the 38,000 people who would vote in December, with a mosque, a clinic, cash for widows and a radio station staffed by his hype-men.

It was a landslide! 70.3% as an independent.

In parliament, he went straight for the ruling party benches. How else to get close to power?

CDD says the cost of winning a parliamentary nomination escalated from GH¢390,000 in the 2016 cycle to ~GH¢4 million by 2020.

It found nine political financiers engaged in serious organised crime, seven of them in galamsey.

IMANI has crazier intel it is still validating.

Open buying season for political power fueled by galamsey.

And now, it looks like cocaine is refusing to accept that galamsey alone can take the glory.

In early September, French customs at Dunkirk opened a container of plastic waste shipped from Ghana and found 3.9 tonnes of cocaine, worth €225 million.

Ghana’s Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) links it to the network of Jos “Bolle Jos” Leijdekkers, a Dutch fugitive convicted in absentia in the Netherlands and Belgium and believed to be sheltering in Sierra Leone.

Bolle Jos is said to employ Ghanaian bodyguards.

Four people are before the High Court in Accra, among them a 34-year-old East Legon spa owner whom the local press calls a “big girl”, and her fiancé, known as “Accra Chief” and suspected of being the network’s Ghana point man.

She says she did not know the nature of his business. They too are presumed innocent.

Dunkirk was not an outlier. In March 2025, intelligence officers pulled 3.3 tonnes of cocaine from beneath the sand in a tipper truck at Pedu Junction in Cape Coast; eighteen months on, the driver and his mate have been charged and the “prime suspects” remain free.

In April, Australian border officers found 320 kilograms of methamphetamine in charcoal shipped from Ghana. The opposition says a ship called MV Sankofa left Ghana after paying a fraction of its fine and was later caught with narcotics in Senegal.

A mess wearing a top hat!

The MP’s fraud case is hardly an isolated case.

In August 2025 Ghana extradited three alleged leaders, two of them styled “chairmen”, of a ring that US prosecutors say stole more than $100 million through romance scams and email fraud; one was sentenced in July to 85 months.

One of the fraudsters in the long chain to that moment was or probably still is the most-followed Ghanaian on Instagram.

In Interpol’s 2025 romance-scam sweep across fourteen African countries, Nigeria included, Ghana supplied 68 of the 260 arrests: more than a quarter.

The Global Organised Crime Index now calls Ghana “a known hub” for romance fraud and scores the role of state-embedded actors in crime at 7.5 out of 10.

Friends, we are dealing with an epidemic!

With a consistent pattern.

But katanomics means that there is no real national learning, so expect the pattern to replicate and eventually overwhelm.

Expect Big Money to keep showing up without any serious sign of genuine business acumen.

Often through a diaspora triangle of Accra, London and an American city.

Packaged into overnight philanthropy.

Expect every gate in the country leading to prestige and power to be opened up immediately money drops on the table.

Expect the Scam-Lords to continue playing on the stagnant Ghanaian sense of respectability and buy their way to palaces, mosques, churches, and dens of socialites.

With an occasional radio station to boot.

Expect these “glamorous entanglements” with power and prestige to buy immunity.

Of fourteen major scam/fraud/drug cases I examined for this piece, ten were set in motion by foreign agencies.

Ghanaian institutions predictably arrive on the scene later. To confirm, to remand, and set up committees.

The country has outsourced risk management to the American FBI.

Even as I write, another overnight sensation is probably cooking up the same pattern for overnight success.

He or she is probably dishing out charity to widows somewhere in the country.

Soon, there will be clerical blessings, then chiefly patronage, and, finally, floodgates thrown wide open. The “Dr.” title follows and media coronation paves the way into parliament.

As the same Ghanaian elites mouth off pious platitudes about “national development” and what have you.

Howzat?”, his post concluded.  

See the post below:

@ghnow_ Watch as EOCO officials reportedly attempt to arrest lawyer Nana Adjei Baffour Awuah, counsel for Nurse Salomey Bafor Awiti, at the Accra High Court. #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ Breaking News: Three suspects have been apprehended. #GHNow #missingperson #fyp ♬ original sound – ADAAMAINA

Agbogbloshie 24-Hour Market suspended amid allegations of plot to remove Konkombas from Accra

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Agbogbloshie 24-Hour Market suspended amid allegations of plot to remove Konkombas from Accra

The Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mahama Ayariga, has announced that the government has suspended plans to redevelop the Agbogbloshie 24-Hour Market amid allegations of plot to remove Konkombas from Accra.

According to Mahama Ayariga, the decision is intended to allow for further consultations with the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), market leadership, and other stakeholders.

The development follows concerns from traders over the proposed demolition of the existing market structure.

In a Facebook post by AMA on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, Mahama Ayariga disclosed that the temporary hold would provide an opportunity to assess conditions on the ground and review the proposed development.

Mahama Ayariga made the announcement after joining the Minister for Transport, Joseph Bukari Nikpe, and the Mayor of Accra, Michael Kpakpo Allotey, to engage the leadership and traders of the Kokomba Yam Market at Agbogbloshie.

Meanwhile, the development follows Dominic Nitiwul, who made a shocking allegation concerning Konkombas and plans to demolish parts of the Agbogbloshie market to make way for a 24-hour economy market.

According to Dominic Nitiwul, the exercise appears to be targeted at removing the Konkomba community from Accra.

He alleged that other sections of the market had been left untouched while the area where Konkombas sell their yams had been marked for demolition.

Nitiwul expressed concern that structures marked for demolition by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) appeared to be concentrated in the section of Agbogbloshie occupied by Konkomba traders.

Speaking in a viral video shared on X, the former Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul, stated, “We don’t see what the Konkomba tribe has done against the government, that they have only come to the centre of Agbogbloshie where the Konkombas reside and decided to site the 24-hour market there.

“They left the side this way; they left the side behind. They left the side at the other side, but only marked where the Konkomba people are, and we feel that it is targeted at just removing the Konkombas from Accra. That’s all,” he said.

He added, “We do not believe that the agenda of the AMA Chief Executive is to build a 24-hour market because the land, the size of the land they have demarcated, is far beyond what they need for a 24-hour market.

“I have one in my constituency, he has one in his constituency, and we know the size of land they need. Why is it that only where the Konkombas are, the places that he marked? Did you observe that or not?” he asked.

The MP further added, “What did they do that you have decided to come to the centre where the Konkombas are? If you check the stretch, this bridge to that bridge, the centre is where the Konkombas are. You left all other areas and came to where only the Konkombas are, where they have their market.

“You’ve marked every store in the market to be demolished. You have also marked where they sleep to be demolished and left every other person. What crime have they committed? Are they not Ghanaians? So why? Why are they being targeted?” he said

“So, Mr President, stop your mayor. Mr President, let him stop targeting the Konkomba tribe. If you cannot help develop the market for the Konkombas to sell their yams, stop. Another president will come and do it. They are not moving tomorrow,” he said.

“It will be politically suicidal for the president to allow the mayor to touch and to do what he is thinking of doing. I will not expand on that, but we are saying that what we saw is not a good thing,” he said.

“Nobody is asking that we don’t want a 24-hour market. No, far from that. But the Konkomba yam market where they sell yam purely is totally different from the activities of the 24-hour market,” he noted.

@ghnow_ EOCO Officials Attempt to Arrest Lawyer Nana Adjei Baffour Awuah at Accra High Court #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ Watch as EOCO officials reportedly attempt to arrest lawyer Nana Adjei Baffour Awuah, counsel for Nurse Salomey Bafor Awiti, at the Accra High Court. #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

Gov’t to buy Teshie desalination plant at a lower price – AG reveals amid $235m judgment debt

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Gov’t to buy Teshie desalination plant at a lower price – AG reveals amid $235m judgment debt

Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, has revealed that government has made significant progress in negotiations with Befesa to acquire the Teshie Desalination Plant at a price “much lower” than the amount sought in arbitration.

According to the Attorney General, the proposed acquisition is aimed at helping the state avoid paying the US$235 million arbitration award against the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), while securing full ownership of the facility.

The Attorney General said the move would also prevent further costs and ensure the continued supply of water to about one million residents in eastern Accra.

In a TV3 news card, the Office of the Attorney-General stated, “Ghana had already begun negotiating to buy the Teshie plant from Befesa at a lower price before the award, to secure full state ownership and water supply to about one million Accra residents”.

The development follows the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) arbitration court ordering Ghana Water Limited to pay US$235 million to the Spanish-owned company operating the Teshie desalination plant following a dispute over the termination of a water purchase agreement.

On Monday, September 21, Befesa Desalination Developments Ghana Limited, a Spanish infrastructure group, and Cox, which owns 95% of the Ghanaian project company, announced that the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) arbitration court had issued two final decisions on September 17.

According to Cox, the amount, net of taxes, relates to payments arising from the termination of the agreement under which Ghana Water purchased treated seawater from the plant.

They further disclosed that the arbitration tribunal also substantially rejected counterclaims brought by Ghana Water Limited against the project company, including a US$144.5 million claim.

A report by thelawplatform. online on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, read, “Befesa Desalination Development Ghana (BDDG), a subsidiary of Spanish company Grupo Cox, has secured a combined US$235 million in two arbitration proceedings arising from the termination of a Water Purchase Agreement (WPA) for the Accra desalination plant.

The two disputes, BDDG v. Ghana and BDDG v. Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), concluded with awards in favour of BDDG, according to a corporate disclosure by Grupo Cox. The arbitral tribunals issued the awards on 17 September 2026, with the compensation relating to the termination of the WPA governing the desalination project.

US$235 Million Compensation Awarded

According to Grupo Cox, BDDG was awarded US$235 million in compensation in connection with the termination of the Water Purchase Agreement.

The two proceedings filed in 2025 involved different respondents: one was brought against the Republic of Ghana, while the other was against GWCL, the state-owned water utility involved in the project.

GWCL has been ordered to partially reimburse BDDG for legal costs incurred in the first arbitration. A further significant aspect of the second arbitration concerns a guarantee issued in connection with the project. Grupo Cox states that the tribunal hearing that case determined that, under the guarantee, the Republic of Ghana is obliged to pay the amounts awarded.

The award, however, contains safeguards against double recovery, meaning BDDG cannot recover the same amounts more than once under the two proceedings.

$144.5 Million Counterclaim Dismissed

The proceedings also involved counterclaims against BDDG. According to Grupo Cox, the tribunals dismissed the counterclaims, including one valued at US$144.5 million.

How the Dispute Arose

The arbitration proceedings followed years of operational and financial difficulties surrounding the Accra desalination project. The Teshie-Nungua desalination plant, which began operations in 2015, was the first desalination plant of its kind in West Africa.

A 2024 public review of Ghana’s Public-Private Partnership projects documented several challenges affecting the facility. Among them were frequent power supply outages, which affected the efficiency of the plant’s operations.

In May 2024, BDDG reportedly stated that the plant had become inoperative because of unsafe conditions resulting from heavy rainfall. A subsequent study identified structural defects and inadequate reinforcement, which reportedly left the facility vulnerable to breakdowns during adverse weather conditions.

GWCL, however, attributed the problems to poor maintenance and neglect.

Financial Difficulties Added to Operational Problems

The technical difficulties were accompanied by financial challenges. According to the 2024 review, the government and GWCL faced difficulties in meeting their payment obligations to the project on time, with the delays linked to broader fiscal constraints.

The financial pressures, together with the operational problems, led to consultations among stakeholders over the restructuring of the project and a review of the Water Purchase Agreement. The subsequent termination of the agreement ultimately became the basis for the arbitration proceedings between BDDG, Ghana and GWCL.

Settlement Talks Continue

Although the arbitral proceedings have concluded with awards in favour of BDDG, the dispute may not yet be practically resolved. Grupo Cox says the parties are continuing negotiations aimed at reaching an amicable settlement.

The next stage could therefore turn on whether the parties are able to agree on the implementation and payment of the awards, rather than allowing the dispute to progress into further proceedings concerning enforcement”.

See the post below:

@ghnow_ Breaking News: Three suspects have been apprehended. #GHNow #missingperson #fyp ♬ original sound – ADAAMAINA
@ghnow_ EOCO Officials Attempt to Arrest Lawyer Nana Adjei Baffour Awuah at Accra High Court #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

Check how much commuters will pay from Saturday as GPRTU increases fares by 8%

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Check how much commuters will pay from Saturday as GPRTU increases fares by 8%

Commuters across Ghana from Saturday, September 26, 2026, will pay higher fares following an 8% increase announced by the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) and the Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council (GRTCC).

Following the 8% increase announced by the two transport bodies, they have released the detailed fare schedule covering shared taxis, intra-city trotros and inter-city services.

A standard intra-city fare of GH¢5 will rise to GH¢5.50, while passengers who currently pay GH¢10 will now pay GH¢11.

At the higher end of the intra-city fare structure, a journey that currently costs GH¢30 will increase to GH¢32.40, while the highest listed fare of GH¢34 will rise to GH¢36.80.

The new adjustment will also affect shared taxi fares. Passengers travelling up to four kilometres will see their fare increase from GH¢2.60 to GH¢2.90. For journeys of up to 40 kilometres, the fare will rise from GH¢18.70 to GH¢20.20.

Inter-city passengers will also be affected by the fare adjustment. A journey currently costing GH¢25 will increase to GH¢27, while a GH¢100 fare will rise to GH¢108.

The highest fare on the revised schedule, currently set at GH¢300, will increase to GH¢324.

According to the transport unions, the 8% adjustment was calculated based on the approved transport fares that took effect on May 24, 2025.

The development follows GPRTU disclosing that transport fares are set to increase by 8% from Saturday, September 26, 2026, following an agreement with the Ministry of Transport.

The 8% adjustment follows weeks of negotiations after the GPRTU initially proposed a 30% increase to reflect rising operational costs.

Samuel Amoah, the Deputy Industrial and Public Relations Officer of the GPRTU, revealed that the union eventually agreed to the 8% increase after the government assured transport operators of further reductions in fuel prices.

Deputy Industrial and Public Relations Officer of the GPRTU on Channel One Newsroom on Tuesday, September 22, disclosed that the union had been seeking an increase of at least 25% but accepted the lower adjustment after discussions.

He stated, “It’s a promise given to us, and if it fails, we will still go back to the ministry to let them know that the promise given to us has not been fulfilled. Then we will see what will help our operations”.

See the prices below:

@ghnow_ Breaking News: Three suspects have been apprehended. #GHNow #missingperson #fyp ♬ original sound – ADAAMAINA
@ghnow_ EOCO Officials Attempt to Arrest Lawyer Nana Adjei Baffour Awuah at Accra High Court #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

‘Raymond Archer was extorting money to kill stories’ – Manhyia South MP fires EOCO boss

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‘Raymond Archer was extorting money to kill stories’ – Manhyia South MP fires EOCO boss

Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, a Lawyer and Manhyia South Member of Parliament (MP), has accused the Executive Director of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), Raymond Archer, of extortion.

According to the Manhyia South MP, there is evidence that Raymond Archer extorted money to kill stories during his time as a journalist under former President John Agyekum Kufuor’s administration.

Speaking in an interview on Asempa FM on September 23, 2026, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah stated, “Even you people that extorted monies during President Kufuor’s time, we remember. Today, you, Raymond Archer, you are at EOCO.

I remember the extortion you did during President Kufuor’s era to kill a stories. For me, I am not afraid of anything, and those are facts. At the time, Alhaji Bamba was at the Office of the President, and those are facts”.

The Manhyia South MP’s allegations come after officers of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) attempted to arrest the MP at the Accra High Court on Wednesday, September 23, 2026.

In the viral video showed a confrontation at the forecourt of the Accra High Court after an Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) officer approached the Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, in an apparent attempt to arrest him.

The MP claimed that the attempt to arrest him was because he was representing his client in the Ghana Jollof case.

Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah told the woman to move from the front of his car, but she refused, which caused him to push her.

In the viral video shared on X, the situation escalated after the MP allegedly pushed the female EOCO officer away and demanded to see an arrest warrant.

“What shows that you are from EOCO?” the MP was heard asking the officer.

The officer reacted after the MP pushed her away, attempting to push the MP back, while some persons at the scene blocked her from stopping the MP from entering his vehicle.

Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah subsequently drove away from the scene. The EOCO officer was later seen getting into a white pickup vehicle and reportedly following the MP.

Meanwhile, the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) has disclosed that Manhyia South Member of Parliament, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, ignored two invitations issued in February 2026 to assist with an ongoing investigation.

According to EOCO, its invitations were not honoured, prompting the Office to take steps to secure the MP’s attendance in accordance with the law.

EOCO revealed that its officers were acting in the lawful discharge of their responsibilities when they attempted to arrest the MP in connection with the investigation.

In a press statement stated, “The Office had previously invited Hon. Baffour Awuah to assist with the investigation on two occasions in February 2026. The invitations were not honoured”.

EOCO explained that the attempted arrest was one of the lawful steps it had taken to secure his attendance after the earlier invitations were not honoured.

According to EOCO, they have identified two persons who allegedly intervened to facilitate the MP’s departure from the scene and are assessing their conduct for possible further action.

EOCO maintained that being a member of Parliament does not by itself bring an investigation to an end or place an individual beyond the reach of the law.

They further disclosed that the investigation remains active and that it will review the circumstances surrounding the incident, including available video evidence, before determining its next steps.

Watch the video below:

@asempa_fm I’m not afraid of arrest. I will be going to court tomorrow because I have not committed any crime against the state; I was simply representing my client. Their decision to come to court to arrest me was a carefully calculated plan to disgrace me. — Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah #Ekosiisen ♬ original sound – ASEMPA FM
@ghnow_ Watch as EOCO officials reportedly attempt to arrest lawyer Nana Adjei Baffour Awuah, counsel for Nurse Salomey Bafor Awiti, at the Accra High Court. #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ EOCO Officials Attempt to Arrest Lawyer Nana Adjei Baffour Awuah at Accra High Court #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

‘Reflect on your legacy; you have just 2 years left’- Afenyo-Markin tells Mahama over political arrests

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‘Reflect on your legacy; you have just 2 years left’- Afenyo-Markin tells Mahama over political arrests

The Minority in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has called on President John Dramani Mahama to rein in his appointees to order following the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) attempted arrest of Manhyia South MP Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah at the Accra High Court.

Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Minority Leader, criticised what he described as excesses by the government and urged President Mahama to ensure that state institutions operate within the law.

The Minority leader also urged President Mahama to reflect on his legacy, reminding him he has only 2 years from exiting office.

Addressing a press conference in Parliament on Wednesday, Alexander Afenyo-Markin stated, “Mr President, reflect on your legacy. You are left with almost just 2 years from exiting office. The question is, what would you tell Ghanaians when you are in your quiet moment? Can you proudly say, with the second opportunity you were given by God, you used that chance to transform your country?

“Watch these excesses; enough is enough. Call your appointees to order because this is not the Ghana we want. We are not against accountability, and we always say that. We are not against any state institution going about its lawful duty as enshrined in any enactment or the Constitution. What we are saying is that a state institution must be seen to be doing its work lawfully.”

Alexander Afenyo-Markin comment follows, a video that surfaced showing a confrontation at the forecourt of the Accra High Court after an Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) officer approached the Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, in an apparent attempt to arrest him.

The MP claimed that the attempt to arrest him was because he was representing his client in the Ghana Jollof case.

Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah told the woman to move from the front of his car, but she refused, which caused him to push her.

In the viral video shared on X, the situation escalated after the MP allegedly pushed the female EOCO officer away and demanded to see an arrest warrant.

“What shows that you are from EOCO?” the MP was heard asking the officer.

The officer reacted after the MP pushed her away, attempting to push the MP back, while some persons at the scene blocked her from stopping the MP from entering his vehicle.

Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah subsequently drove away from the scene. The EOCO officer was later seen getting into a white pickup vehicle and reportedly following the MP.

Meanwhile, the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) has disclosed that Manhyia South Member of Parliament, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, ignored two invitations issued in February 2026 to assist with an ongoing investigation.

According to EOCO, its invitations were not honoured, prompting the Office to take steps to secure the MP’s attendance in accordance with the law.

EOCO revealed that its officers were acting in the lawful discharge of their responsibilities when they attempted to arrest the MP in connection with the investigation.

In a press statement stated, “The Office had previously invited Hon. Baffour Awuah to assist with the investigation on two occasions in February 2026. The invitations were not honoured”.

EOCO explained that the attempted arrest was one of the lawful steps it had taken to secure his attendance after the earlier invitations were not honoured.

According to EOCO, they have identified two persons who allegedly intervened to facilitate the MP’s departure from the scene and are assessing their conduct for possible further action.

EOCO maintained that being a member of Parliament does not by itself bring an investigation to an end or place an individual beyond the reach of the law.

They further disclosed that the investigation remains active and that it will review the circumstances surrounding the incident, including available video evidence, before determining its next steps.

@ghnow_ EOCO Officials Attempt to Arrest Lawyer Nana Adjei Baffour Awuah at Accra High Court #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ Watch as EOCO officials reportedly attempt to arrest lawyer Nana Adjei Baffour Awuah, counsel for Nurse Salomey Bafor Awiti, at the Accra High Court. #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

How wife helped killers murder her husband after staging robbery – Lawyer drops chilling details

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How wife helped killers murder her husband after staging robbery – Lawyer drops chilling details

Joseph Ackah-Blay, a TV3 journalist and Legal practitioner, has narrated chilling details of a case in which a wife was convicted of abetting the murder of her husband after the Supreme Court of Ghana found that evidence presented at trial established her role in a staged robbery that resulted in his death.

The Legal practitioner disclosed that the case involved Salamatu Karim and two men, Awudu Alhassan Sulemana, popularly known as “Dozer,” and Mohammed Sulemana, also known as “Banana.”

He revealed that the three were convicted over the murder of Salamatu’s husband, Abdul Karim, at his residence at ACP Estates, Pokuase, on June 15, 2013.

According to Joseph Ackah-Blay, the case presented before the courts, what initially appeared to be an armed robbery turned out to be a carefully plotted attack in which the victim’s wife was alleged to have played a central role.

In a post on X by Joseph Ackah-Blay on September 23, 2026, he wrote, “A staged robbery, a grieving widow, and the confession that unravelled it all.

On the night of 15 June 2013, Abdul Karim was killed in his home at ACP Estates, Pokuase. At about 9:35 p.m. His wife, Salamatu Karim, called the police. Her account was that armed robbers had broken in and killed her husband while she was bathing.

By the time officers arrived, Abdul Karim had already been rushed to hospital, where he was pronounced dead. A post-mortem revealed a fractured skull, a fractured mandible, and injuries consistent with a sustained, deliberate beating.

The case remained unresolved until the police made headway while investigating a different crime. While probing an unrelated attempted robbery, they arrested a man named Kofi Nyagbedzi. In the course of that separate matter, Nyagbedzi gave police information that pointed them toward two other men: Awudu Alhassan Sulemana, known as “Dozer,” and Mohammed Sulemana, known as “Banana.”

Police tracked the pair down and arrested them at Dodowa. Under interrogation, Dozer and Banana gave statements that changed the whole complexion of the case. According to the prosecution, both men admitted the initial unsolved “robbery” had been staged. There were no strangers breaking in. The person who let them into the house that night, they said, was Salamatu Karim herself, the victim’s own wife, and sister to Dozer.

The prosecution’s case was that Salamatu recruited Dozer and Banana, let them into the house, hid them in the bathroom, pointed out her husband to them when the moment came, supplied the weapon, and promised to pay them afterwards. Dozer was convicted of murder and conspiracy, Banana of conspiracy, and Salamatu, though she never struck a blow herself, of abetment of murder for the role the confessions said she played in setting it up. All three were sentenced to death.

They appealed, first to the Court of Appeal, which affirmed the convictions in November 2018, then to the Supreme Court. Counsel for the three appellants, Raphael Alijina Debrah, raised thirteen grounds of appeal, which really came down to four arguments: that the confession statements should never have been admitted, that the trial judge’s directions to the jury were flawed, that the evidence did not prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt, and that the Court of Appeal was wrong to affirm the convictions.

On the confessions,  the Supreme Court noted that the trial judge had held a mini trial specifically to test whether the statements were voluntary, assessed the credibility of the men who gave them, and found they were freely made. The Court said a finding like that, made by the judge who actually watched and heard the witnesses, is not something an appellate court should casually override, and it saw no reason to hear.

On the jury directions, the Court found nothing wrong either. It described the summing-up as balanced, comprehensive, and legally accurate.

On Salamatu, her lawyers argued the evidence against her did not go far enough to prove abetment beyond reasonable doubt. The Court disagreed. It pointed to what her own husband’s killers had said about her role: letting them in, hiding them, pointing out the victim, and helping conceal the crime afterwards. Taken together with the medical evidence showing this was no chance robbery but a deliberate, coordinated attack, and with the testimony of the prosecution’s key witness, the Court found the picture complete. Someone had to let the killers in and tell them which man to strike. The evidence said that person was her.

The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal in full. The convictions and death sentences for all three, Dozer, Banana, and Salamatu Karim, were affirmed.

Case title: Awudu Alhassan Sulemana @ Dozer, Mohammed Sulemana @ Banana & Salamatu Karim v. The Republic, Supreme Court of Ghana, Criminal Appeal No. J3/1/2020, judgment delivered 29 July 2026”.

See the post below:

@ghnow_ EOCO Officials Attempt to Arrest Lawyer Nana Adjei Baffour Awuah at Accra High Court #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ Breaking News: Three suspects have been apprehended. #GHNow #missingperson #fyp ♬ original sound – ADAAMAINA
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